Using a mold, 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.

From 6 to 10 bow-shaped pieces of wood are inserted into a frame called a kagami to create molds. The molds range in size from the large ones 2 meters diameter to the small about 8 cm in diameter. There are approximately 100 types of mold in all. There are groves in the molds to fix them to the bones. When all the bones have been fixed to the mold, strings are used to reinforce the connection between the bones.