When travel guides or Instagram posts showcase “quintessential Japan,” the familiar sights often include the silhouette of Mount Fuji or the temples of Kyoto. For many travelers, another icon stands alongside them — the enormous red lantern hanging at the entrance of Asakusa in Tokyo.
This is the lantern of Kaminarimon, the Thunder
Gate of Sensō-ji Temple, arguably the most famous lantern in Japan. But why is
it so large? In Japan, the chōchin (lantern) has always been more than a
mere source of light. With deep cultural roots and centuries of history, it has
illuminated sacred shrines, bustling streets, and festival nights alike.
The Kaminarimon Lantern
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| Utagawa Hiroshige In Front of Asakusa Kaminarimon |
Passing through Kaminarimon, the first thing you notice is the massive lantern — about 3.9 meters tall and weighing roughly 700 kilograms. Boldly painted with the characters “雷門” (Thunder Gate), it glows softly at night, offering a different charm from its daytime presence.
The original large lantern was donated in 1795, when
Asakusa was already a lively entertainment district drawing visitors to
Sensō-ji. Serving as both a landmark and an attraction, it even appeared in
Utagawa Hiroshige’s ukiyo-e print In Front of Asakusa Kaminarimon.
The gate burned down in 1865, and a temporary structure
stood in its place for decades. The current gate and lantern were donated in
1960 by Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic — a symbolic gesture during
Japan’s postwar recovery. An electric company, quite literally, rekindled the
light.
The lantern is repaired every few years, and during major festivals it is hoisted to allow tall floats to pass underneath. For visitors, it serves as Asakusa’s warm and welcoming porch light.
A Brief History of Japanese Lanterns
Lanterns are thought to have arrived from China in the
16th century. Early versions were box-shaped and covered in paper, but over
time they evolved into the familiar form of bamboo ribs wound in a spiral and
covered with washi paper. This design made them collapsible, easy to hang, and
portable for travelers.
Originally, lanterns held candles, but today many use
electric bulbs, and the bamboo framework is often replaced by metal. While the
materials and light sources have changed with the times, the shape remains the
same. Candle-lit lanterns were notoriously tricky — sometimes the paper would
catch fire — and they were vulnerable to rain. For festivals, waterproofed
versions are still made.
During the Edo period, lanterns were part of everyday urban life in Edo, lighting streets, guiding travelers, and marking shops in a city that never truly slept.
Lanterns and Festivals
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| Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival |
Beyond their practical use, lanterns hold important roles in religious and seasonal events, appearing in both Buddhist and Shinto traditions. August in Japan marks Obon, when the spirits of ancestors are believed to return home. Lanterns are hung at doorways to guide them back.
Many temple and shrine festivals across Japan feature
lanterns in abundance. They provide illumination at night, but also create an
atmosphere both solemn and magical. Some festivals place lanterns center stage:
- Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori) – Gigantic illuminated floats parade through the streets
- Gion Matsuri (Kyoto) Elegant festival floats lit by lanterns
- Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival (Fukushima) – Floats adorned with hundreds of glowing
lanterns
Summer nights also bring bon odori dances, rooted
in ancestor memorial traditions. Lanterns strung around towers, temple grounds,
or parks cast a gentle glow, transforming the scene into something dreamlike.
Festival lanterns often bear the names of local businesses, doubling as
sponsorship displays.
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| Bon odori (Kanda Shrine, Tokyo) |
Lantern Parades
In chōchin gyōretsu (lantern parades), people
carrying lanterns walk through the streets at night, creating the vision of a
flowing river of light.
In Tokyo, several unique and historically significant lantern parades are held each year:
- Imperial Palace Lantern Parade (August 15) – Held around the anniversary of the
war’s end, participants walk with quiet lantern light, praying for peace
and gratitude.
- Mando Procession at Ikegami Honmon-ji (October) – Part of a major annual Buddhist
observance in Tokyo’s Ōta ward, with hundreds of lanterns accompanied by
drums and flutes.
- Fox Parade at Ōji Inari Shrine (New Year’s Eve) – Participants dressed as foxes
carry lanterns from Shōzoku Inari Shrine to Ōji Inari Shrine, reenacting a
local legend.
Red Lanterns and Nightlife
A shop on Kappabashi Street selling lanterns for people opening their own restaurants.
Lanterns have long been used as signs. In the Edo period,
samurai residences hung lanterns bearing their family crests for identification
at night. Today, the red lantern is synonymous with izakaya pubs.
If you see a glowing red lantern in a Japanese nightlife
district, chances are it marks a place to eat and drink. In fact, the phrase aka-chōchin
(“red lantern”) is a common slang term for an izakaya. They also appear outside
ramen or sushi shops and street stalls, their warm glow somehow making food even more
tempting.
Souvenirs and Craft
From miniature festival-patterned paper lanterns to large
decorative pieces, chōchin are popular souvenirs in Tokyo, Kyoto, and beyond.
In Asakusa, visitors can even try their hand at lantern-making, painting their
own designs or having artisans inscribe custom characters before taking their
creation home.
Why Lanterns Still Shine Today
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| Tradition floating in a modern space — a giant summer lantern (KITTE, Tokyo) |
Even in an age of neon signs and LED lights, Japanese lanterns endure. The giant lantern at Kaminarimon, the endless rows of festival lights, the red glow of a backstreet pub — they continue, as ever, to cast their warm light on the people who gather beneath them.
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