FEATURE: French artisan's bright idea keeps passion for Suifu lanterns burning

A craftsman from France has combined two distinct art forms to give new life to "Suifu chochin" Japanese paper lanterns made famous in Mito, the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture in eastern Japan.Jeff Rudge, 45, hopes his lanterns will help preserve the tradition for the future. He uses a technique that melds stained glass, a craft he learned from his German grandfather, with thin strips of bamboo and Japanese paper to create original designs that bring out vivid colors using light.Suifu was another name for Mito in the Edo period (1603-1868), and the city is known as one of the famous pro…READ FULL ARTICLE