Short answer: akari (明かり) is Japanese for “light” — the soft, indirect light of a paper lantern rather than a bare bulb. Isamu Noguchi adopted the word as the name of his lamp series in 1951. Captains Bamboo makes 56 of those shapes from hand-laid washi over split bamboo ribs, and every measurement on this page comes from our own size chart.
The part most people get wrong: the number in the name is a design code, not a size. The 23N is 33 in across; the 26A is 17.5 in. The bigger number belongs to the smaller lamp. The full 56-model chart is here.
What “akari” actually means
明かり (あかり / akari) is the light a lamp, a firefly or the moon gives off — light you can sit in. It is not the same word as 光 (hikari), which is light as a substance: sunlight, a beam, a reflection. Japanese keeps the two apart, and that distinction is the whole reason Noguchi reached for the first one.
The word is written either in kana — あかり — or with the character 明, “bright.” Lamp-makers often spell it 灯り instead, using the character for a lamp you have to switch on. Same sound, slightly different job: one leans toward brightness, the other toward the fixture doing the brightening.
Akari is also a Japanese name
Akari is a common Japanese given name, which is why the word turns up in both name searches and lamp searches. Written 明里 it leans on “bright”; written 灯里 it keeps the lamp character. Parents choose the kanji, so the shade of meaning shifts — but every spelling means light first. If you found this page looking for the name rather than the lamp, that is the answer in one line: Akari means light, and it is given to girls the way we might give the name “Claire.”
Gifu, 1951: where the first Akari came from
In 1951 Noguchi travelled to Gifu, a Japanese town known for its lanterns and parasols, and worked with a family workshop there — Ozeki & Co. — using techniques that had been passed down for generations. The method has not changed much since: bamboo ribs are woven over a wooden form, natural washi paper is glued on and left to dry, and the form is pulled out. What is left collapses flat, which is how the first lamps were shipped — in envelopes.
The Noguchi Museum Shop now calls the series “icons of 1950s modern design,” a “harmonious blend of Japanese handcraft and modernist form.” Noguchi’s own framing was narrower: “The essence of my work is to bring together the contradictions of East and West, of spirit and matter, of function and sculpture.” A paper lantern that folds flat and still reads as sculpture is that sentence built in bamboo.
Three meanings inside the word
1 · Light as warmth and hope
Before electric light, a paper lamp — the andon — was what stood between a household and the dark. It meant safety, physically and otherwise. That freight never quite left the word: akari still carries comfort on a cold night, and hope in a bad year.
2 · Light as weightlessness
Noguchi wanted Akari to be “light as sunlight” — light in weight as well as in brightness. The frame folds flat, which is how the first ones went out: in envelopes. A room’s worth of lighting travels under one arm, and that was the point.
3 · Light as joy
Akari belongs to the festival half of Japanese light — paper over a flame, a street full of them, nobody being discreet about it. The idiom 心に明かりが灯る, “a light comes on in the heart,” is how the language says someone has found a bit of happiness.
Why “akari” fits a Japandi room
Japandi pairs Japanese restraint with Scandinavian warmth, and paper light holds both at once. A washi shade keeps a room low-contrast — no bright spot on the ceiling, no hard edge in the corner — which is exactly what that palette needs. It also stays quiet: the shade reads as air rather than as furniture.
Three build levels, not three quality tiers
Every shape in the collection is built to order in our own workshop, in three levels of craft:
- Value — coated steel frame, machine-laid paper. The light is right; the frame is the cheap part.
- Classic — natural bamboo ribs with hidden joints, the version we sell most of. This is the shape as Noguchi drew it, minus the price of hand-tying.
- Mastercraft — hand-tied bamboo, one rib at a time. Closest to the Gifu originals, and priced like it.
Same silhouette, three levels of craft. The 3X table lamp is $125 in Classic and $175 in Mastercraft — that gap is the hand-tying, not a different lamp.
What you get when you order
- Made to order, then shipped: handcrafting takes 1–3 business days, then delivery runs about 4–12 business days. Shipping is free worldwide, and tracking is emailed the moment your lamp leaves the workshop.
- 30 days to change your mind: if it doesn’t fit your room, send it back within 30 days of delivery in its original packaging — see our refund policy. Return shipping is on you for a change of mind, and on us if the lamp arrives damaged — we repair, replace or refund, photos are all we need.
- One-year limited warranty: every lamp is covered against manufacturing defects for a full year — repair, replacement or refund, your choice.
- Spare shades and single parts, any time: a torn shade does not mean a new lamp. We make the replacement the same way we made the first one.
- 24/7 support: someone watches the inbox around the clock, weekends included. Email hello@captainsbamboo.com and a person answers.
Which shape for which room
| Shape | Start with | What it does in a room |
|---|---|---|
| Table | 3X · 9A | A pool of light at arm’s height — bedside, desk end, a low shelf |
| Floor | UF3-31N · UF3-DL | Warmth in a dark corner, glow at eye level when you are sitting |
| Pendant | 26A · 55A | Weightless light over a table — the shape reads as air, not as a fixture |
Handmade Akari lamps to shop
Akari 55A Washi Pendant
Ø11.8–47.2 in (30–120 cm) · 11 sizes, plus 2-light pairs · From $85
Shop the 55APrefer to browse instead? See our best-selling Akari lamps.
Get 10% off any Akari lamp
Use code AMG63 at checkout for 10% off any lamp in the collection. It applies to every build level — Value through Mastercraft.
Frequently asked questions about Akari
Is Akari a Japanese name?
Yes — Akari (明かり / アカリ) is also a common Japanese given name meaning “light” or “brightness,” usually written 明里 or 灯里. That is why the word shows up in both name searches and lamp searches.
Is Akari the same as hikari?
No. Hikari (光) is light as a substance — sunlight, a beam. Akari (明かり) is the light a source gives a room, which is why it suits a lamp and not a torch.
Who designed Akari lamps?
Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), the Japanese-American sculptor. He designed the first Akari in 1951 in Gifu, Japan, working with local washi paper and bamboo artisans.
What are Akari lamps made of?
Handmade washi paper made from mulberry bark, stretched over a frame of split bamboo ribs. The frame is collapsible, which is why Akari ships flat.
Are Akari lamps still made today?
Yes. Original production continues in Gifu by Ozeki & Co. The lamps in this shop are handmade pieces inspired by Noguchi’s designs — we are a workshop, not the Noguchi brand, and not affiliated with the Noguchi Museum.
What bulb does an Akari lamp use?
Most take a standard E26/E27 base. A low-wattage LED is recommended — the paper diffuses best with soft light and stays cool to the touch. Every lamp ships with a 5W warm LED included.
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