Ephemeral lanterns made from hollowed-out hyotan gourds have been lighting up social media ahead of Halloween. The lanterns sprouted from the imagination of Hyotan Ranpu no Ie (gourd lamp house), a workshop in Usa, Oita Prefecture.
Artisan Eiko Nakao, 58, grows and harvests the hyotan herself, some as tall as 40 centimeters. She then dries the gourds and drills elaborate lacelike designs in their husks, which glow with haunting beauty when an LED light bulb is placed inside.
"I hope people will have fun decorating with them like a Halloween pumpkin," Nakao said.
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