Eye Motion Analysis of Kyoto Japanese Lantern Craftsmen during the Kami-hari Process

The Japanese lanterns crafted and used in Kyoto are referred to as “Kyo-Chouchin.” In Kyoto, the making of Japanese lanterns is a traditional craft. Kyo-Chouchin, which are made from Japanese paper on a bamboo framework, are individually crafted by craftsmen. The crafting process comprises the “Kami-hari” process during which Japanese paper is pasted onto a bamboo framework by the craftsman. The Kami-hari process influences the appearance of Kyo-Chouchin. To investigate the different ways in which experts and non-experts execute the Kami-hari process, this study conducted process and eye motion analysis. As a result, the Kami-hari process was divided into four phases: “Nori-uchi,” “Kami-hari,” “Kami-tachi,” and “Mizu-bake.” Working time and the duration of the expert’s gaze were longer than those for the non-expert during Nori-uchi phase. The expert uniformly pasted the paper to the bamboo framework to enable the early performance of the next phases of the crafting process. The Kyo-Chouchin crafted by the expert in this manner has a beautiful appearance.