Obon (お盆) as we've said before is the big summer holiday season during which the Japanese honor the spirit of their departed ancestors. And these are the paper lanterns called Yame Chochin (八女提灯) that have taken their names from Yame (八女), the city in Kyushu were they were made for the first time, sometime in the early 19th century. The materials are handmade washi paper, wood and bamboo, the particular shape/model is called andon (行灯) and they are generally part of the Obon decoration although, actually not everywhere since they are quite expensive and inconvenient for the other 3555 days of the year; Obon are the ten days around August 15.
(For a bigger version of this picture both in color and black and white, check my "Japan Arekore" set on Flickr).
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