, or Gifu paper lanterns, are a special product of the city of

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

Gifu Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. They have been labeled as one of Gifu's traditional crafts. Famed artist

Isamu Noguchi was an American artist, furniture designer and Landscape architecture, landscape architect whose career spanned six decades from the 1920s. Known for his sculpture and public artworks, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Grah ...

designed a series of Gifu Lanterns that were entitled ''Akari'', meaning "light."

History

There are records of Gifu Lanterns stretching back to the

Keichō was a after '' Bunroku'' and before '' Genna''. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1596 : The era name was changed to ''Keichō'' to mark the passing of various natural disaste ...

and

Keian was a after '' Shōhō'' and before '' Jōō.'' This period spanned the years from February 1648 through September 1652. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 412./ref> Change of era * 1648 ...

eras of Japanese history, which stretched from the late-16th century to the mid-17th century. At the time, they were goods presented to the

Owari Domain The Owari-Han, also known as the Owari Domain, was a significant feudal domain in Tokugawa shogunate, Japan during the Edo period. Situated in the western region of what is now Aichi Prefecture, it covered portions of Owari Province, Owari, Mino ...

, rulers of the area at the time. The modern shape of the lanterns first appeared during the

Hōreki , also known as Horyaku, was a after '' Kan'en'' and before ''Meiwa''. The period spanned the years from October 1751 through June 1764. The reigning emperor and empress were and . Change of era * 1751 : The new era of ''Hōreki'' (meaning "V ...

era in the mid-18th century, and the lanterns' coloration became standardized during the

Bunsei was a after '' Bunka'' and before ''Tenpō''. This period spanned the years from April 1818 through December 1830. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * April 22, 1818 (): The new era name was created to mark the enthronement of the emp ...

era in the early-19th century. On April 5, 1995, Gifu Lanterns were designated a traditional craft by the

Ministry of International Trade and Industry The was a Ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of Japan from 1949 to 2001. The MITI was one of the most powerful government agencies in Japan and, at the height of its influence, effectively ran much of Japanese industri ...

, the predecessor to the

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry The , METI for short, is a ministry of the Government of Japan. It was created by the 2001 Central Government Reform when the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) merged with agencies from other ministries related to economic acti ...

. The area eventually received a brandmark for its products in October 2006.

Isamu Noguchi

Noguchi began designing the AKARI series of lanterns in 1951.Isamu Noguchi
. Ozeki Lantern Co., Ltd. Accessed May 1, 2008. When describing the beauty of his work, he said the following:

The light of AKARI is like the light of the sun filtered thru (sic) the paper of shoji. The hardness of electricity is thus transformed thru (sic) the magic of paper back to the light of our origin—the sun—so that its warmth may continue to fill our rooms at night.

Features

Gifu Lanterns are built around a thin frame and layered with pieces of

Mino washi is a type of Japanese paper created in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Washi is made from the paper mulberry which is a plant that grows in the city of Mino. In 1985, it was designated a Traditional Craft by the Ministry of International Trade and Ind ...

.Gifu Paper Lanterns
Japan National Tourist Organization. Accessed April 30, 2008. The paper can either be plain, showing off the flickers of light, or decorated to show a scene or design.Gifu Lantern Cooperative Homepage
Gifu Lantern Cooperative. Accessed April 30, 2008. Because many of the lanterns are still made by hand, there are three main skills used during production, often by different people. The three skills are ''hari'' (張り), ''surikomi'' (擦り込み) and ''moriage'' (盛り上げ). ''Hari'' is when the paper is attached to the frame. ''Surikomi'' is designs are added to the paper. ''Moriage'' is applying powder to the wooden portions of the frame that remain exposed.

References

{{Reflist Culture in Gifu Prefecture

History

Isamu Noguchi

Features

See also

References