Yamaga Lantern Folk Art Museum — Attraction in Yamaga

The Yamaga Lantern Folk Art Museum is a beautiful celebration of Japanese artistry, culture, and tradition. Located in the heart of Yamaga, this museum showcases the incredible craftsmanship behind the region’s famous Yamaga lanterns, made entirely from washi paper and a bit of glue — no wood or metal at all!

The exhibits are both elegant and inspiring. You’ll see intricate, full-size paper lanterns shaped like temples, shrines, and even samurai helmets. The level of detail is astonishing, and the lighting displays make the works glow with a warm, almost magical quality.

One of the highlights is the section on the Yamaga Toro Festival, where women in yukata carry glowing lanterns on their heads and perform graceful dances. The museum does a great job of connecting the folk art to the local history and community.

There’s also a video demonstration and sometimes even live paper lantern-making displays, giving you a deeper appreciation of the time, skill, and patience it takes to create these delicate...

We had a bit of trouble to communicate with the staff. We bought a combined museum and theatre ticket but were still asked to pay extra for a show we didn’t want to see. In the end, the issue was resolved. Since we visited during the Yamaga Lantern Festival, there were additional charges, but if you enter the theatre after 6 PM, there’s no need to pay extra! The lanterns were beautiful, though the place itself isn’t very large, so it only takes a short...

The Yamaga Info Centre was very helpful in introducing us to this extraordinary folk craft museum. Highly recommended if you want an in depth insight into the papercraft history...