About Shoji Lamps

The shoji lamp, or andon (ja:行灯), is a lantern consisting of paper stretched over a frame of bamboo, wood or metal. The shoji lamp became popular in Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868). The paper protected the flame from the wind. Burning oil in a stone or ceramic holder, with a wick of cotton, provided the light.

Scholarly research suggests that the invention of shoji screens and sliding doors had a profound influence on Japanese design and architecture.  They introduced the quality of diffused light to Japanese interiors. By extension, it is also suggested that the introduction of shoji lamps were even more influential on their effect on Japanese culture, in that they allowed for the expansion of “night life.”  Suddenly, restaurants stayed open later, musicians played after dusk, shops and merchants stayed open into the evening. At home, people entertained and extended their activities into the evenings.
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In Japan, the shoji lamp is meant to accompany the night and enjoy the night for what it is. This concept of illumination is all important in understanding shoji lamps. These objects create the necessary minimum of light required to function in the darkness of the night, but do not alter the ambiance the night has to offer.