Traditional lighting equipment of Japan

The traditional lighting equipment of Japan includes the andon (行灯), the bonbori (雪洞), the chōchin (提灯), and the tōrō (灯篭).

The andon is a lamp consisting of paper stretched over a frame of bamboo, wood or metal.

Burning oil in a stone, metal, or ceramic holder, with a wick of cotton or pith, provided the light.

[7] A relative of the Chinese paper lantern, the chōchin has a frame of split bamboo wound in a spiral.

[1] In present-day Japan, plastic chōchin with electric bulbs are produced as novelties, souvenirs, and for matsuri and events.

[12] Originally used in the broad sense to mean any lantern, the term tōrō came to refer to a lamp of stone, bronze, iron, wood, or another heavy material.

These illuminate the grounds of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, Japanese gardens, and other places that include tradition in their decor.