Where Japanese craftsmanship meets modern sculptural form

It all began with a journey to the Japanese city of Gifu in 1951. Isamu Noguchi became captivated by the city's centuries-old tradition of crafting handmade paper lanterns and umbrellas. Surrounded by skilled artisans and local materials, he conceived the idea for Akari – what would become one of the most iconic lighting collections in design history.

The name Akari means "light" in Japanese, but it also conveys a sense of lightness and clarity – a dual meaning that captures the very essence of the collection. Noguchi described the lamps as a way of transforming electric light into something softer and more human. Filtered through delicate washi paper, the light is diffused into a warm glow reminiscent of the natural radiance of daylight.

Over the years, Noguchi developed more than 100 different models, including table, floor, and pendant lamps in organic shapes and a variety of sizes. Despite their sculptural appearance, every Akari is crafted with the same care and traditional techniques that inspired the original idea in Gifu.

To this day, each Akari is handmade by Ozeki, a family-owned company in Gifu with generations of experience in traditional lantern making. Thin bamboo strips are shaped around original wooden forms before being covered with handmade washi paper produced from the bark of the mulberry tree. Once the paper has dried, the wooden form is removed, allowing the lampshade to be carefully folded flat – a construction that is every bit as ingenious today as when Noguchi first designed it.

Noguchi (1904–1988) was far more than a designer. As a Japanese-American artist, he moved effortlessly between sculpture, furniture, architecture, stage design, and landscape architecture. His work was driven by a desire to unite art and function, creating objects that not only served a practical purpose but also shaped the way we experience a space.

Since 2002, Akari Light Sculptures have been produced by Vitra in close collaboration with The Isamu Noguchi Foundation in New York. Every lamp bears Noguchi's distinctive sun and moon emblem – a mark of authenticity that guarantees its provenance and connects each piece to the designer's original vision.