When I went to Japan in the early Noughties, I loved so much of the culture I encountered in the everyday. On my return I decided our house deserved a “Spirit House”. The principle is simple, it guards our front door, traps the bad spirits from entering and amplifies the good:

Since it’s install, it has worked a charm and today I brought it into this century by adding a solar-charged light inside the stone lantern section, that glows softly at night. To commemorate the renovation I was looking for a fold of a spirit house and happened across one designed by Ichiro Kinoshita.

Made from 4 pieces of paper (1×17.5cm square and 3x15cm squares), it faithfully creates a base, lantern and lid in a rather lovely way.I can imagine folding this for a display later, must remember the techniques as it’s proportion and scale is lovely.

My spirit house lantern is not so open – a grid of holes, and is carved from Lava, now lichen encrusted but still well loved. Hopefully the gentle illumination will make it’s job of filtering the bad spirits out at night that much easier. Try it here