Proverb / Kotowaza
火の消えた回り灯篭
A metaphor for something that was once lively suddenly losing its vitality and becoming quiet or desolate.
a revolving lantern whose fire has gone out
Quick Answer
A metaphor for something that was once lively suddenly losing its vitality and becoming quiet or desolate.
- Literal Image
- a revolving lantern whose fire has gone out
- How to Use It
- Used when describing a place, event, or group that has suddenly lost its atmosphere of excitement, such as a street after a festival or a house after children move out.
Meaning
This expression describes a situation where a previously bustling or energetic environment abruptly loses its life and becomes lonely. It compares the sudden loss of energy to a revolving lantern that stops its motion the moment its internal candle is extinguished. It can be used to convey a sense of sadness, emptiness, or desolation that follows a peak of activity.
Literal Image
a revolving lantern whose fire has gone out
How to Use It
Used when describing a place, event, or group that has suddenly lost its atmosphere of excitement, such as a street after a festival or a house after children move out.
Tone
Carries a lonely, desolate, or negative nuance.
Examples
お祭りが終わった商店街は、火の消えた回り灯篭のように静まり返っていた。
After the festival ended, the shopping street became as silent and desolate as a revolving lantern whose fire had gone out.
子どもたちが進学で家を離れ、我が家は火の消えた回り灯篭のような寂しさだ。
With the children leaving home for university, our house has become lonely, like a revolving lantern that has lost its flame.
人気俳優が降板した途端、そのドラマは火の消えた回り灯篭になってしまった。
The moment the popular actor left the cast, the drama suddenly lost all its energy and became desolate.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The grammar is straightforward, but the vocabulary 'mawaridouro' is specific to Japanese culture and the idiom is somewhat literary.
火
ひ / hi
fire / flame
消えた
きえた / kieta
extinguished / went out
回り灯篭
まわりどうろう / mawaridouro
revolving lantern
Usage Profile
Usage note: This expression specifically implies a loss of previous energy; do not use it for things that were quiet from the start.
Misread Risk
Avoid confusing this with a general term for 'darkness'; the focus is on the cessation of movement and vitality.
Search As
Related Proverbs
Origin
A revolving lantern (mawaridouro), also known as a soma-to, is a traditional Japanese summer decoration. It features an internal cylinder that rotates due to the rising heat from a candle, casting moving silhouette images on the outer paper. When the candle goes out, the motion stops instantly, and the lantern becomes a still, desolate object even if its exterior remains unchanged. This vivid visual metaphor for a sudden loss of vitality became established in the Japanese language during the Edo period.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.