It was a rainy autumn day in Tokyo as my companions and I shuffled out of the Toei Chikatetsu metro line at Asakusa Station. Emerging onto the street level, we quickly opened and raised our large, red paper umbrellas, on loan from our escorts, and made our way down a few alleys to the Ohshimaya Onda Chochin Lantern Shop. Mr. Onda’s business was founded 160 years ago by his great-great grandfather, when Kyoto was still the official capital of Japan and “Edo” was ruled by the powerful Tokugawa shogunate. Onda-san both custom makes and hand paints the lanterns. And we were going to try our hand at it, too... keep reading