Japan, the country in which I was born and bred, is not only a country of thousands of small islands (more than 4000 of them in addition to 4 large main islands, to be more precise) but also a country of rich culture and many interesting traditions! Today, here, I would like to talk about one of those traditions which we, the Japanese people, just love to observe!

The beautiful tradition, I am talking about, is popularly known as “Toro Nagashi” or the “festival of floating lanterns”. Celebrated during summertime (in the middle of July or August), in the evening when the sky goes dark, the beauty of numerous floating lanterns along a river or lake mesmerizes just about anybody and everybody. 

Related to “Obon”, a 3-day period to honour all the departed souls, this unique tradition is observed by inscribing names, messages and drawings on the nicely-designed paper lanterns that are attached to a bamboo or wooded base. Then, of course, a candle is also placed inside the lantern before setting it to float alongside a river or lake. Often accompanied by music and fireworks, this festival gets even more colourful and interesting when the glowing and reflecting lights of thousands of lanterns drift alongside the boaters. 

By the way, the tradition of “Toro Nagashi”, essentially a Buddhist festival, is observed all over Japan by people from all walks of life. Here it is worth mentioning that the lantern denotes a special symbol in Japanese culture. It represents love, brightness, and protection from evil. 

Well, I get a rather special and certain sense of peace inside my heart about observing this tradition, mainly because it allows us to remember our forefathers and carry our love and gratitude to them. It also makes me feel happy as it brings all our families and friendstogether for a noble cause while also enjoying some quality time at the same time.