Yamaga Good Fortune Ornament – “Beni” Red Yui
Born from the refined art of traditional washi craftsmanship, the Yamaga Good Fortune Ornament is designed to grace life’s many celebratory moments with beauty and meaning. Each piece is carefully handcrafted by toro-shi (lantern artisans) who dedicate their skills to creating offerings for local shrines during the annual Yamaga Lantern Festival. Alongside traditional Yamaga techniques such as okiage (layering for structure) and hori (intricate paper carving), the artisans incorporate yui—a unique method of binding multiple strips of washi without thread or glue. This creates sculptural forms and graceful knots that embody wishes for good fortune, happiness, and a bright year ahead.
The frame can be displayed standing or hung on a wall. Its versatile size allows it to be placed on a bookshelf, in a display cabinet, or wherever you wish to bring a touch of festive charm.
In Japan, people will gift these ornaments to bring good fortune on special occasions such as starting a business, getting a new job, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, the birth of children, and to wish elders a long and fulfilled life.
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Yamaga Good Fortune Ornament
Artisan
Nakamura Workshop — Yamaga Paper Lanterns
For over 600 years, the art of Yamaga Tōrō has been handed down in Yamaga, Kumamoto. Crafted entirely from hand-made washi paper and a small amount of natural glue, these lanterns embody one of Japan’s most intricate and refined paper crafts. Only tōrōshi — artisans who have completed a decade of rigorous training — are entrusted with creating lanterns to be offered at shrines.
Nakamura Workshop explores the expressive potential of paper alone, shaping ideas into form with remarkable freedom. By blending traditional Yamaga techniques with contemporary sensibilities, they create washi works that harmonize heritage with modern living.
Mastery
The Traditional Techniques of Yamaga Tōrō
The distinctive sculptural beauty of Yamaga lanterns is achieved through techniques unique to this craft. Okiage involves layering two identical sheets of paper and inserting supporting pieces between them, creating depth, strength, and a three-dimensional structure — all with paper alone. Hori is the delicate art of carving intricate patterns, windows, and latticework into the surface, allowing light to filter through and transform the lantern into a work of ethereal beauty.