Edo Tegaki Chochin can be found adorning shrines, temples, storefronts, and around festivals, the unique style of writing adorning them engendering the spirit of Edo. Chochin are a type of lighting tool. The lanterns use finely cut bamboo for a frame, upon which paper or silk is affixed to protect a lighted candle resting within from the wind. Chochin lanterns have a long history, but the style of Edo Tegaki Chochin are said to have originated 450 years ago in the 16th century. Edo Tegaki Chochin are adorned with hand-painted characters and family crests, but the lettering is a unique form of type called “Edo-moji” (Edo-Style Characters). The writing of the actual chochin moji is the most difficult portion of the lantern-making process, each character bearing an idiosyncratic quality of the artisan who wrote it.