Fushitani san’s father started the company in 1962 after completing a traditional ten-year apprenticeship. This family company has developed new styles of chōchin (Japanese paper lights) like the double-layered shades and sectioned shades.

We first met at a trade show and what impressed us about Fushitani san was his willingness to experiment with us and his gentle good humour. Half of his business is firmly in traditional Japan: making lamps for temples and restaurants, but the other half is full of trial and error and looking out beyond his normal market. He even came to talk to the Japan Society here in London, and what could have been a fairly dry talk on lantern construction was 45 mins of fun and audience participation.