Akari Lamps and Paper Lanterns: How to Light a Japandi Room (and Your Art)
16 October 2026
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Updated 16 October 2026 · By Yugen Print
Switch on a paper lamp and the whole shade becomes the light: a soft, glowing shape instead of a bright point. In a Japandi room, where the furniture sits low and the walls are quiet, that glow often matters more than any one piece in it.
This guide looks at the most famous paper lamp of all, Isamu Noguchi's Akari, and the wider family of paper lanterns it inspired. Then it gets practical: how to use them to light a calm room, and the art on its walls.
What is an Akari lamp?
An Akari is a paper light sculpture designed by the artist Isamu Noguchi, made by hand in Gifu, Japan, from washi paper stretched over bamboo ribs.
Noguchi made the first Akari in 1951 and kept adding new designs for the rest of his life. They come as table lamps, floor lamps and ceiling pendants, in shapes from simple globes and cylinders to folded, crumpled and spiralling forms. The word akari (明かり) means "light" in Japanese. Noguchi liked that it also hinted at lightness of weight, because the shades fold flat and weigh almost nothing.
Noguchi saw them as sculpture first and lighting second. In his words, the paper "becomes luminous as a result of the light inside", so the lamp is "lighting itself".
Who designed the Akari, and where are they made?
The Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904 to 1988) designed them, and they are still made by the family firm Ozeki & Co. in Gifu, as they have been since 1951.
It started on the Nagara River. In the spring of 1951, on his way to Hiroshima, Noguchi stopped in Gifu to watch night-time cormorant fishing, lit by paper lanterns and braziers on the boats. Gifu was famous for its chōchin lanterns, but the trade had been badly weakened by cheap copies and by the war. The mayor asked Noguchi to help revive it. Noguchi sketched his first two lantern designs the next day, and swapped the traditional candle for an electric bulb. That one change made the old form modern.
He went into partnership with Ozeki, a lantern maker founded in 1891, and kept working on Akari for more than three decades. The Noguchi Museum says he designed over 200 models in that time, and took out patents in both the US and Japan. 2026 marks 75 years since that first trip to Gifu.
Is a "Noguchi lamp" the same as an Akari?
Yes. "Noguchi lamp" is the everyday nickname for Noguchi's Akari light sculptures, and Akari is the official name.
Akari is a trademark of The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, and Noguchi designed a red sun-and-moon logo, based on the character 明, to mark genuine pieces. So when you see a paper lamp online described as "Akari-style" or "Noguchi-inspired", it's a lamp in the same tradition, not an Akari. That doesn't make it a bad lamp. It just means it's a different thing, usually at a very different price.
How can you tell a genuine Akari from a copy?
A genuine Akari carries the red sun-and-moon stamp, and newer models also carry the "I. Noguchi" signature.
The safest way to buy one is through the official channels. According to The Noguchi Museum:
- North America: the Noguchi Museum's online shop, and its shop in New York.
- Japan: Ozeki & Co., online and in its Tokyo showroom.
- Europe (including the UK), Oceania and the Middle East: Vitra and its authorised design partners.
At the Noguchi Museum shop, genuine Akari currently start at around US$175 for a small table lamp, with large floor lamps and pendants running well over US$1,000. If a listing calls itself a genuine Noguchi Akari and costs a fraction of that, be cautious.
What's the difference between an Akari, a rice paper lamp and a paper lantern?
An Akari is Noguchi's own design, made by Ozeki in Gifu; "rice paper lamp" and "paper lantern" are general names for any lamp with a paper shade.
Despite the name, most "rice paper" lamps aren't made from rice. Traditional Japanese washi, including the paper in Akari, is made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree. Many budget shades use other papers, or a paper-like fabric.
| Genuine Akari | Paper lantern lamp (budget) | Paper pendant globe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Noguchi's design, handmade by Ozeki in Gifu | A paper or fabric shade on a frame or stand | A simple round shade on a ceiling cord |
| Paper | Washi from mulberry bark, on bamboo ribs | Varies: washi, other papers, fabric or plastic | Usually machine-made paper |
| Price | From about US$175 (table) | Usually much lower | Usually the cheapest |
| How to tell | Red sun-and-moon stamp, sold via official channels | Sold as "style" or "inspired" | Plain, unbranded |
| Best for | A lamp you'll keep for decades | Trying the look, or a rented home | A soft overhead glow on a budget |
| Watch out for | Fakes claiming to be genuine | Flimsy stands, or cool-white bulbs in the box | Bare bulbs showing through thin paper |
Which paper lamp shape suits which room?
Use a tall floor lantern in the living room, a small table lamp by the bed, and a large round pendant over a dining or low coffee table.
| Room | Lamp type | Why it works | Size guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living room | Tall floor lantern in a corner | Lights the room at eye level, so the ceiling light can stay off | Shade 100 to 150 cm tall |
| Bedroom | Small table lamp on each side, or one | Low, soft light that doesn't glare from the pillow | Shade 30 to 45 cm |
| Dining area | Large round pendant | A soft pool of light over the table, no glare | Shade about two-thirds the table width |
| Meditation or reading corner | Low floor lantern on the floor or a tatami | Sits at the eye level of someone seated low | Shade 40 to 60 cm |
| Hallway or entryway | Slim cylinder or small pendant | A gentle welcome without a glaring overhead light | Shade 30 to 50 cm |
Our Shop the Meditation Room guide shows a low lantern in a seated corner, and our Wabi-Sabi Bedroom edit has paper lamps chosen for a bedside.
How do you light a Japandi room with paper lamps?
Light the room in low, warm layers (around 2700K) from two or three paper lamps set below eye level, and leave the ceiling light off most evenings.
A Japandi room depends on calm, and harsh overhead light kills it straight away. A few lamps at different heights make the room feel bigger and softer at the same time, because light pools in some places and fades in others. That contrast is close to what the novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki praised in In Praise of Shadows: the beauty of a room that isn't fully lit.
Styled look
Start with one floor lantern. Put it in a corner, so the glow reaches two walls. Japanese rice paper floor lamp
Styled look
Add one low lamp. Try a small table lamp on a bench, a side table or the floor. small rice paper table lamp
Styled look
Soften the overhead light. If you need a ceiling light, swap a bare fitting for a paper pendant. large rice paper orb pendant with a 15 ft (4.5 m) cord and in-line switch (US)
Styled look
Styled look
Choose warm bulbs. The Noguchi Museum recommends 2700K or lower for Akari, and the same applies to any paper shade. Amazon Basics 2700K soft white dimmable LED bulbs (6-pack) (US, E26). In the UK: Philips frosted dimmable LED bulb, 2700K warm white, 100W equivalent (UK, E27)
Styled look
Put lamps on a dimmer or smart plug. Turning them down is what lets an evening slow down. Lutron Caséta smart plug-in lamp dimmer (US plug). It needs the Caséta Smart Hub, sold separately, for app control and schedules.
For the darker version of this look, our dark Japandi bedroom guide shows how paper lamps make charcoal walls look rich rather than gloomy, and the Japandi colour palette guide covers the colours that glow best under warm light.
How should you light art in a Japandi room?
Light art from the side or from above with warm, dimmable light, never from a bright bulb directly in front of it.
Ink prints look their best in warm, low light. Indigo deepens, black ink softens and cream paper picks up a faint glow. Cool light does the opposite, making indigo look grey and flat.
- Place the lamp beside the art, not in front of it. A floor lantern to one side of a large print gives it a soft wash of light and shadow, without glare.
Styled look
Use a picture light for one key piece. A slim picture light on a warm setting, fixed above a print, makes it the focal point at night. rechargeable LED picture light with warm setting and remote
Styled look
Prefer matte paper and low-glare glazing. Matte prints don't bounce light back at you. If you frame behind glazing, matte non-glare acrylic softens reflections from lamps and windows. It sits flat against the print, so use it in a frame without a mount. matte non-glare acrylic for 24×36 inch (61×91 cm) frames- Keep heat and sunlight away. LEDs run cool, which suits both paper shades and paper prints. Strong direct sun fades both over time.
Our guide to framing and styling a Japanese sumi-e print covers frames and mounts, and what size wall art to hang above a bed or sofa helps you pick the right size before you light it.
One Lantern beside a glowing paper floor lantern at dusk. Shop One Lantern.
Which Yugen Print pieces suit a lamplit room?
Our Night Series, drawn in deep indigo ink with small points of warm light, was made for rooms lit by lamps.
Several pieces in the series are about paper and stone lanterns themselves, so the glow on the wall and the glow in the room echo each other.
One Lantern: a single paper lantern rests on still, dark water, its light repeated in the ripples around it. It's almost entirely empty space, which is ma: the quiet that lets one small light mean something. Hang it next to a single paper lamp and the pair is all the wall needs.
Tōrō Nagashi: paper lanterns drift across dark water, each trailing its reflection, as in the tōrō nagashi ritual where lanterns are set afloat to guide the spirits home. It holds warmth and farewell in one image, and it suits a living room.
The Stone Lantern: a stone garden lantern glows in a misty night garden, weathered and patient. A good fit for an entryway, where a warm light greets you at the door.
Fireflies: a handful of fireflies drift like warm gold sparks over reeds on a summer night. It's a gentle piece for a bedroom, for the quiet end of the day.
Moon on Water: a full moon lays a path of pale light across still water. The quietest of the five, for a meditation corner or above a bed.
| Light in the image | Best room | Lamp to pair it with | Suggested size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Lantern | One floating paper lantern | Bedroom, reading corner | A single small table lamp | 16×24″ or 20×30″ |
| Tōrō Nagashi | Many floating lanterns | Living room | A tall floor lantern to one side | 20×30″ or 24×36″ |
| The Stone Lantern | A stone lantern's warm window | Entryway, hallway | A slim cylinder lamp or small pendant | 12×18″ or 16×24″ |
| Fireflies | Small sparks of warm gold | Bedroom | Paper bedside lamps on a dimmer | 16×24″ or 20×30″ |
| Moon on Water | Pale moonlight on water | Meditation corner, above a bed | A low floor lantern | 20×30″ or 24×36″ |
All five are printed to order on archival matte paper in sizes from 8×12″ to 24×36″. They're sumi-e-inspired prints, not hand-painted originals, and we're always clear about that. The matte paper is also why they look so good under lamplight: there's no shine for the bulb to catch. For more on the ideas behind them, see the five Japanese principles behind every print.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Noguchi lamp? A Noguchi lamp is an Akari light sculpture, a paper and bamboo lamp designed by Isamu Noguchi from 1951 and still handmade by Ozeki & Co. in Gifu, Japan.
Why are genuine Akari lamps expensive? Each shade is made by hand from washi and bamboo in Gifu, by the family firm that has made them since 1951. You're paying for the original design and the craft behind it.
Are paper lamps a fire risk? Not when used properly. Use LED bulbs, which run cool, keep to the maximum wattage on the lamp, and don't let the bulb touch the paper. The Noguchi Museum also advises keeping Akari away from strong heat.
What bulb should I use in a paper lamp? A warm white LED at 2700K or lower, ideally dimmable. In the US that's usually an E26 fitting; in the UK, check whether your lamp takes E27 or B22.
Can I use a genuine Akari in the UK? Yes. In the UK and Europe, Akari are sold through Vitra and its partners. Akari bought in North America come with a two-pin North American plug, so you'd need an adaptor.
How do I clean a paper lamp? Gently, and dry. A feather duster, soft dry brush or dry cloth is enough. Small tears can be mended with archival paper repair tape.
What art goes with paper lamps? Quiet art with deep tones and plenty of empty space, printed on matte paper. Indigo or black ink night scenes look especially good under warm lamplight.
Related guides
- Dark Japandi Bedroom: Colours, Ideas and the Art That Works
- What Is Wabi-Sabi Art? Meaning, Examples and How to Use It at Home
- Shop the Meditation Room: Japanese Sumi-e Essentials for a Calm Space
- The Japandi Colour Palette
- What Wall Art Suits a Japandi Living Room?
- How to Frame & Style a Japanese Sumi-e Ink Print
Sources: The Noguchi Museum's history of the paper light sculptures and its shop FAQ.
Akari is a trademark of The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum. Yugen Print isn't affiliated with The Noguchi Museum, Ozeki & Co. or Vitra.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
About the author: Yugen Print is a small studio making Japandi and wabi-sabi art prints inspired by sumi-e ink painting, shaped by the Japanese ideas of wabi-sabi, ma and yūgen. Every print is made to order on archival matte paper and shipped to the US, UK, EU, Australia and New Zealand. Read more about the studio.