mameakari chochin-making kit helps you craft a japanese-style lantern at home

Introducing Mameakari: An Authentic Chochin-Making kit

Minori Yanase Shoten, a chochin wholesaler in Kyoto with roots tracing back to the late Edo period, is set to launch Mameakari, an authentic chochin-making kit. The kit, designed to enhance familiarity with the paper chochin technique, allows users to craft their lanterns, encompassing everything from molding to framework using cardboard. This hands-on experience mirrors the intricacies of actual chochin production.

For the fire pouch, the kit features Mino washi, a Japanese paper from Gifu Prefecture, echoing the material used in traditional lanterns. The LED lights incorporated in the design simulate flickering flames, adding a realistic touch. Aptly named ‘Mameakari’ after the smallest size of a genuine chochin, resembling a ‘bean’, the kit is co-developed with Kenta Yoshizawa, a specialist in craft kit design.

Kenta Yoshizawa and Minori Yanase Shoten | all images courtesy of Kenta Yoshizawa and Minori Yanase Shoten

create a small chochin using simple materials

Comprising materials such as cardboard, mounting paper, wire, Japanese paper, LED lights, along with an instruction manual, the kit by Minori Yanase Shoten and Kenta Yoshizawa invites enthusiasts to engage in a creative process. Basic tools like scissors, wood glue, masking tape, and a bottle are required for assembly. Makuake brand will launch the kit on October 13th, offering an opportunity to delve into the art of chochin crafting.

Minori Yanase Shoten is a chochin wholesaler based in Kyoto

the kit is designed to enhance familiarity with the paper chochin technique

Mameakari launches on October 13th, offering users the opportunity to delve into chochin crafting

cardboard shapes up the lantern’s framework

the kit comprises materials such as cardboard, mounting paper, wire, Japanese paper, LED lights

project info:

name: chochin kit Mameakari
designer: Minori Yanase Shoten | @minori_yanase – Kenta Yoshizawa Studio | @design_k.y

company: Makuake | @makuake_official

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom