Hoops and Perfect Circles, Kyoto Lanterns

Kojima Shoten is an old, established workshop that has been making Kyo-chochin since the Edo period. The entire process is done in the jibari-shiki method, in which everything from the creation of the bamboo frame, the pasting of paper, to the pictorial decoration is done by hand. The product of a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, that Kyo-chochin is characterized by its sturdiness and the rich texture of its materials. As for durability, it can easily last 10 years of kept out of the rain.
Once the bamboo rings are finished, a tool called a honetame is used to provide a rounder form. Since bamboo tends to return to a straight shape, in order to restrain this tendency and produce a nice round form, it is necessary to make the fibers completely flexible.