A ‘chouchin’ is a lantern that is lit with a candle. In the old days, the candle was put in a framework of wood, which was covered with paper. Back then, the characters used for lantern meant ‘peach-colored lantern’ because of the color of the lanterns. Starting some time between 1573and1593, bamboo began to be used instead of wood. The flexibility of bamboo meant that the lanterns could be folded, and as a result, they came to be called ‘hand-carrying lanterns’. The characters for ‘lantern’ changed and were written as ‘carrying lanterns’, which is how they are referred to nowadays. During the Edo period, more and more people used lanterns. Later, craftsmen specializing in lantern making started to appear, and various designs developed in different regions. ‘Hako’, also called ‘Yoshihara lantern’ or ‘Yakko lantern’, is a square lantern. The name originates from the Yoshihara area and from Samurai, Yakko. The cylinder-shaped ‘Odawara lantern’ was light and handy for a trip. Other styles developed for other uses depending on the demand. Now, Yameshi in Fukuoka Prefecture and Gifu in Gifu Prefecture are famous for making lanterns.