Japanese Washi Paper Lamp: The Guide

The Japanese paper lamp is a globe or cylinder of washi paper that diffuses a soft, warm light. Behind its simplicity lies a centuries-old tradition, from Isamu Noguchi’s Akari lanterns to the artisanal lanterns of Yame. Here is the guide to understand everything and choose well.

What is a Japanese paper lamp?

Originally, there is the chōchin, the Japanese lantern: a frame of thin bamboo strips spirally wound, covered with washi paper, inside which a candle was once placed. The paper lets light through while diffusing it, creating a soft, enveloping glow without glare. Modern versions replace the candle with an LED, but the spirit remains the same: warm light filtered through paper.

Washi paper, the soul of the lamp

Everything rests on the paper. Washi is a handmade Japanese paper, renowned for its strength, texture, and unique way of diffusing light. The more beautiful the paper, the more beautiful the light. We explain everything in our dedicated guide, the washi paper.

Noguchi’s Akari lamp, the icon

It’s impossible to talk about Japanese paper lamps without mentioning the Akari. In 1951, the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi discovered the lanterns of Gifu and imagined a series of light fixtures made of washi and bamboo, since produced by the Ozeki house. He named them Akari, a word meaning both light and lightness. More than a hundred models have been created, making the Akari the global icon of the Japanese paper lamp. It is the design reference in the genre and often the starting point for those interested in the subject.

TORCHIN, the artisanal washi lamp from Yame

At Maison Godillot, we have chosen another washi lamp, more exclusive and deeply artisanal: the TORCHIN, designed by the TENT studio and crafted by the Shiraki Kougei workshop. It comes from Yame, in Fukuoka Prefecture, the birthplace of a lantern tradition nearly two hundred years old. Shiraki Kougei specializes in hibukuro, the luminous body of the lantern, shaped using a signature technique where a single bamboo strip is spirally wound. The paper is a handmade Yame washi, woven by an artisan recognized as a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government, which gives the light its unique warmth.

It’s not an Akari, and it doesn’t try to be: it’s a Yame lantern reinvented for today. Cordless thanks to a USB rechargeable battery, it lights up with a simple touch, offers three intensities, and warm light at 2700 K. You place it on a table, carry it from room to room like a torch, hence its name.

How to choose your Japanese lamp

For a Japanese bedside lamp, choose a small model with warm, touch-sensitive light, easy to turn off at night. For a living room, a larger size creates a soothing atmosphere from dusk.

Frequently Asked Questions