What did the Japanese use for light during the Edo period? For many candles might come to mind but even though candles had been available in Japan since the Heian period, they were an imported luxury, and as such their use was quite limited.
During the Muromachi Period candles were being produced domestically but at 200 Mon or 4000 yen per candle their use was still limited to shrines, temples and the houses of the elites. Remaking old candles was also a trade at this time particularly for use in handheld cochin lanterns, which with the lack of street lights, were a necessity when venturing out at night during the Edo period.
For very large public spaces a Hachi ken was used. The Hachi ken, filled with oil at its base, was hung from the ceiling and contained a wick made of igusa. However, its use was often limited to large public spaces like public bath houses.
The most common type of light was an Andon. Typically, round or square in shape, the Andon was placed on the floor. Inside the Andon, there is an oil pot with a wick made of igusa; the same material that tatami mats are made of. Light and absorbable, the igusa was then soaked in the oil and then lit.
A weight with a handle is placed on the igusa so as to enable one to increase the amount of wick exposed to the air. Increasing the amount of wick exposed to the air creates a brighter flame but the speed at which the wick absorbs the oil increases as well. Reducing the amount of wick exposed to the air lowers the flame and produces a less light but increases the amount of time one may use the Andon. It seems that using two pieces of igusa together was common.
The process of producing canola oil, or Natane abura, was also perfected during the Edo period, and at this time one GOU, about 180ml, of oil, sold for 40 Mon or 800 yen and could last for about two days. Sardine oil, or Iwashi abura, was also available at half the price.
Here’s an Andon that I recently acquired through a net auction site. The door was missing and there was no paper attached to the frame. After asking a local furniture maker to make a replacement door, we applied the Shojigami ourselves. The old oil pot was also an internet auction find and I picked up the wick on Amazon.
