history of lamps

remember the comic travelogue i talked about 2 weeks ago? i had been reading about attractions that may be interesting and found a couple of museums which are worth visiting. the first one i visited was the kobe lamp museum.

the purpose of the kobe lamp museum is to display the various lighting devices from past centuries that reflect the lifestyles and cultures in early japan. the museum is located on the second floor of an office building (next to robinson!), and has a fairly small exhibition area. although not a big show floor, the collections are divided into distinct eras and designed to let visitors stroll smoothly through the exhibits.

just like any other civilizations, it all began with the natural resources - sticks, straws, and wood.
松明 taimatsu (torch made of sticks)
かがり火 kagaribi (wood fire in a metal basket hung from a tripod; or bonfire)

during the edo period, oil was discovered as a source of fuel, and oil lamps were invented.


these oil lamps are called ねずみ短檠 nezumi tankei. inventors created a mechanism that automatically allows oil to be fed to the top, which is designed into the shape of a mouse, and dripped onto the fuel plate.


then came the "paper boxed lamps" to protect the flame from being blown out by the winds.


with the invention of candles, people learned to make matches to strike fire in an instant. there were millions of designs on matchboxes - one of the earliest forms of advertisement.


"XXX" and "impregnated"??
impregnated means the flint had been infused with different particles, in this case.


in the late meiji period, gas/petroleum lamps were introduced by the europeans. but the japanese incorporated some of the traditional japanese designs, such as sakura, onto the glass shades.


in order to fit the japanese market, how can they not have these 豆ランプ (miniature lamps)? each of these are in the range of 10 to 19cm.


and last but not least, the invention of the light bulb in the 19th century by thomas edison made life so much easier.


with only a ￥400 adult admission, the kobe lamp museum is a good way to take a quick 45 minute break from the busy kobe streets. :)

Kobe Lamp Museum
〒650-0034
神戸市中央区京町80番　クリエイト神戸2 & 3F