Japanese glass artist Naru relocated from his hometown in Yokohama in 2015 to Taketa in Oita prefecture of Kyushu, as part of the town’s effort to revitalize through craft tourism.
Naru is passionate about lamps and candle holders that he began making after the destructive earthquake in Japan in 2011. “Soon after the earthquake, there were widespread power outages and electricity conservation requests,” he recalls. He also added that since the pandemic, there has been renewed interest in lanterns in Japan. He says that it is probably because more people spent time outdoors or went camping, and they needed a reliable light source without electricity. “I thought that maybe it is also because fire is a source of comfort during this time of crisis.”
