{"product_id":"chochin-lantern","title":"Chochin Lantern","description":"\u003ch2\u003eChochin Lantern With a Red Daruma and Kaiun Calligraphy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003echochin\u003c\/em\u003e is the collapsible lantern of Japan: a spiral of thin ribs covered with a translucent skin, closed by two rings, light enough to carry by hand and flat enough to store in a drawer. It appeared in the sixteenth century, lit processions and night streets through the Edo period, and never left. Shrines hang it at their gates, festivals string it in rows, and shops still paint their trade on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis chochin lantern is painted with a wish. Two large characters in thick black brush read \u003cem\u003ekaiun\u003c\/em\u003e, which means the opening of luck, the turn toward better fortune. The same word is written beside them in small hiragana, the way a sign helps a child read. At the lower left sits a red \u003cem\u003eDaruma\u003c\/em\u003e, the round doll modeled on the monk Bodhidharma. A Daruma is weighted so that it rises again each time it is pushed over, and it has become the Japanese image of persistence: you paint one eye when you set a goal and the second when you reach it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shade is made of a coated fabric rather than paper, so it keeps the ribbed look of the traditional lantern while resisting humidity and the occasional splash. Black caps finish the top and bottom, and a ring allows it to hang from a hook, a beam or a cord. A small bulb or LED placed inside makes the white ground glow evenly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy a front door, the chochin lantern greets visitors with a good omen. It suits an entrance hall, a study, a shop counter or a restaurant at the start of a new year. It also makes a thoughtful present for someone opening a business, changing jobs or moving into a new home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo sizes are available, and the lantern folds flat between uses. A pair on either side of a doorway frames it like a shrine gate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSizes: 6 x 10 in (15 x 25 cm) or 8 x 14 in (20 x 35 cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShade: coated fabric over a ribbed frame, water resistant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign: kaiun calligraphy with red Daruma\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlack caps at top and bottom, hanging ring\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFolds flat for storage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold individually, bulb not included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"JAPAN CLOTHING","offers":[{"title":"15 x 25 cm","offer_id":54651785085275,"sku":"14:496#8;200325262:202624831#15X25cm","price":19.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20 x 35 cm","offer_id":54651785118043,"sku":"14:496#8;200325262:202624832#20X35cm","price":24.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/9300\/2473\/files\/chochin-lantern_1.jpg?v=1793957836","url":"https:\/\/japan-clothing.com\/products\/chochin-lantern","provider":"JAPAN CLOTHING","version":"1.0","type":"link"}