DISCOVER FUKUI

Each August, the Eiheiji Floating Lantern Festival serves as a memorial to those who have passed away: summer in Japan brings O-bon, when the souls of the dead come closest to the world of the living. The evening begins with the reading of a Buddhist sutra and the names of people to be remembered. Then, some 10,000 lanterns are floated down the Kuzuryu River, in a traditional Japanese ritual of mourning.

Each year, this event draws many people from the local community, both for the religious ceremony and for the magical scenery. The lanterns are dedicated to the memories of specific people, as well as to personal wishes for the future.

Why not float a lantern in Eiheiji Town, carrying your gratitude, prayers, and all your wishes and thoughts...?

The Eiheiji Floating Lantern Festival, a summer tradition and event that signals the end of summer.

Lanterns filled with gratitude and prayers for ancestors, along with various wishes and thoughts, gather from all over the country.

The daytime session features a bazaar, a food market, a kids' plaza, and other festival activities enjoyable for families.

For the evening session, approximately 100 monks and nuns from the head temple of Eiheiji will perform the "Great Offering Ceremony," where they recite all the posthumous Buddhist names written on the memorial lanterns. (In Japan, posthumous Buddhist names are special names given by a priest to the deceased, signifying their transition to a Buddhist disciple, preparing them for rebirth in paradise, and reflecting their life/morals, often engraved on tombstones.)

Afterwards, lanterns containing prayers for ancestors and personal wishes are floated down the Kuzuryu River.

The sight of the lanterns floating downstream is registered as one of Japan's Top 100 Night Views, creating a fantastical scene of a ribbon of light on the river.

Attendees on the day can release their own lanterns, and you'll see people joining hands in prayer as the lanterns drift away.

For those unable to attend, lanterns can be pre-ordered. We will carefully inscribe your message on the lanterns and release them for you.

　*Those wishing to pre-register should place their order via the "Products" section on the "The Eiheiji Floating Lantern Festival" website (in Japanese).

This is a major event where approximately 10,000 lanterns gather from across the nation each year.

We look forward to your lantern applications and your attendance on the day.

Eiheiji Town Great Lantern Floating Event Official Website (in Japanese)