The Ise region flourished as a temple town for Ise Shrine, which dates back 2,000 years and is considered the most historically significant shrine in Japan. Once every 20 years, Ise Shrine holds a special ceremony known as Shikinen Sengu, in which local citizens gather to rebuild the inner shrine, transporting wood, building walls and bridges, and thatching roofs. The shrine’s gods are then moved from the old shrine to a new one. This rebuilding process reflects the Shinto belief in “tokowaka,” or renewal, and is also vital in passing traditional building techniques from one generation to the next.

Paper lanterns are made in large quantities for the Sengu ceremony. Today, only one company continues to make these Ise lanterns; they are responsible for the entire process, from designing and making the wooden molds to attaching the paper and adding the surface designs and lettering.