Splitting the Bamboo, 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.

After the bamboo has been made about the right size, the nodes are removed. The bamboo is then split in half and then further split to create the "horizontal bones." The number of bones depends of the size of the lantern.