In a quiet workshop in Shizuoka, Japan, artisans weave 1 mm-thin bamboo strips by hand using a technique passed down for generations. In a solar-powered factory in Johannesburg, South Africa, young people assemble solar lights under fair trade conditions.
Sonnenglas® EN (縁) exists where these two worlds meet.
This new Sonnenglas collaboration is more than a new lantern. It is a cross-continental collaboration that brings together traditional Japanese craftsmanship and socially responsible solar innovation – creating something that makes sense for our time: sustainable, beautiful, and full of meaning.
And perhaps nowhere could such a product emerge more naturally than in Japan – the land of the rising sun.
Why This Product Exists
At Sonnenglas, we’re guided by a simple but powerful ethos: A product must make sense for the customer, for the people who make it, and for the planet.
To us, good design isn’t just about what a product does - it’s about how it’s made and the impact its making has. That’s what we call design with integrity - and it’s the foundation of everything we do.
With Sonnenglas® EN (縁), we found a way to fully live that principle. This is a product that honors ancient tradition while solving real-world needs. It is crafted with care, powered by sunlight, and built on a partnership that bridges cultures and continents.
Sonnenglas in Japan
In Japan, Sonnenglas has been cherished since 2018 - initially as a trustworthy light during earthquakes and power outages, and soon after as a beloved part of everyday life. You’ll find it gently glowing in homes, cafés, and quiet corners across the country.
Sonnenglas recommended as an emergency light in Japan’s The Sankei newspaper
What touches us deeply is how people in Japan describe Sonnenglas. The light it creates is often called “healing”, a word we rarely hear in other countries — and one that moves us greatly. It’s a reminder that good design can go beyond function to offer comfort, calm, and emotional presence.
This reception has made Sonnenglas® not only a part of daily rituals, but also the recipient of two Good Design Awards and a Social Products Award in Japan — recognitions that celebrate both its aesthetic and its social impact.
Tradition Reimagined: The Craft of Suruga Bamboo
The lantern’s shade is made using Suruga Takesensuji Zaiku – a bamboo craft native to Shizuoka with over a century of tradition. It involves meticulously hand-weaving ultra-thin bamboo rods into airy, geometric structures that seem to defy gravity.
Our partner in this collaboration, Miyabi Andon, is one of the last remaining workshops preserving this craft. Known for their finely crafted Andon lanterns and thoughtful design, they bring a philosophy that resonates deeply with ours: work with natural materials, preserve heritage, and create with patience and precision.
With Sonnenglas® EN (縁), this historical technique finds new life.
A traditional light, reborn through solar energy.
Powered by SOMO – Solar Light with Social Purpose
At the heart of the lantern sits the award-winning SOMO Solar Light, developed by Sonnenglas in South Africa. It’s compact, efficient, and powerful — charging via sunlight or USB-C and delivering up to 100 hours of light on a single charge.
But SOMO is more than a lighting module. It is assembled by hand in our Fair Trade–certified factory in Johannesburg, where we currently provide stable, meaningful jobs for 50 young people in a region facing one of the world’s highest youth unemployment rates.
This is what we mean by social impact through design: Every unit of light we create supports real people, real futures, and real dignity.
A Light That Honors the Earth
Sonnenglas® EN (縁) is made from bamboo, walnut wood, and solar-powered light – all chosen not just for their form and feel, but for their integrity.
- 100% natural, renewable raw materials
- Zero disposable batteries
- Zero carbon emissions during use
- Durable, repairable, and timeless in design
It’s a product that reflects the world we want to live in: one where objects are made with care, used with joy, and leave no harm behind.
The Meaning of “EN” (縁)
The name EN (縁) was chosen with care.
In Japanese, 縁 means connection – the unseen threads that bind people, cultures, and time.It also echoes 円, meaning circle – a shape found in the SOMO module, the bamboo weave, and in our vision of a circular, regenerative economy.
Sonnenglas® EN (縁) is a lantern shaped by these meanings. A symbol of collaboration, wholeness, and continuity. A light made to bring people closer.
A Note from the Founder
I’m originally from Germany, but over the years I’ve spent a great deal of time in both Africa and Japan — two countries that, in many ways, couldn’t be more different.
From my perspective, Africa is open, spontaneous, full of energy - often informal and wonderfully unpredictable. It’s a place where creativity flows even when nothing goes as planned.
Japan, in contrast, is precise, structured, deeply intentional - a world of quiet beauty, ritual, and reliability.
They stand in stark contrast - and yet, I’ve come to believe that it’s precisely in that contrast that something powerful can emerge. When these two worlds come together - not in spite of their differences, but because of them - something new and beautiful becomes possible.
Sonnenglas® EN (縁) is a reflection of that belief.
A light shaped by two cultures, powered by the sun, and guided by shared values of craftsmanship, care, and connection.
— Stefan Neubig
Founder of Sonnenglas
Exclusively in Japan – For Now
Sonnenglas® EN (縁) is available exclusively in Japan through sonnenglas.jp and a small selection of curated retailers.
The first edition sold out immediately after launch and is currently only available via backorder.It is not mass-produced – it is made in limited quantities, with deep respect for the materials and the hands that shape them.
While Sonnenglas® EN (縁) is only available in Japan for now, the enthusiasm has been felt far beyond. If you’d like to see it come to your country, we invite you to:
get in touch at info@sonnenglas.net ,
follow us on Instagram @sonnenglas, or — better yet —
sign up for our newsletter at sonnenglas.net to stay connected.
Sonnenglas® EN (縁) – A light made of sun, bamboo, and human connection.
Crafted in Japan. Empowered in South Africa.
Sustainable by nature. Beautiful by intention.