• The Nihon-matsu Chochin (Lantern) Festival is held every year in Nihon-matsu, Fukushima Prefecture from October 4th to the 6th
• In the evening of the festival on October 4th, a total of about 3,000 paper lanterns are lit up and paraded around the city
• The gallant and beautiful matching Japanese Yukata outfits and the wonderful festival music are also great highlights of this event!
• Map

The Nihon-matsu Chochin (Lantern) Festival is held every year in Nihon-matsu, Fukushima Prefecture from October 4th to the 6th

The Nihon-matsu Chochin (Lantern) Festival in Nihon-matsu, Fukushima is the most important festival held at Nihon-matsu Shrine and is said to have started approximately 360 years ago. It is held every year from October 4th to the 6th. Seven Taiko drum floats are released from seven towns, loaded with approximately 300 lighted paper lanterns each, which then proceed to parade majestically throughout the town.

In the evening of the festival on October 4th, a total of about 3,000 paper lanterns are lit up and paraded around the city

The evening of the festival on the 4th is a fantastic highlight. The Taiko drum floats from each of the towns gather together and fire from the Nihon-matsu Shrine is transferred to each of the red paper lanterns. The seven floats loaded with approximately 3,000 red paper lanterns parade majestically around the city to the encouraging sounds of shouting and music. The floats all it up, offer simply stunning scenery. As you admire the bright lights from the red paper lanterns burning in the evening sky, you’ll feel as if every soul from the people in Nihon-matsu have joined together to magnificently burn together as one.

The gallant and beautiful matching Japanese Yukata outfits and the wonderful festival music are also great highlights of this event!

You should definitely pay attention to the costumes and festival music originating from each town. Costumes vary depending on the town, with matching cotton Yukata and cloths worn around the neck. The matching Yukata outfits look gallant and extremely beautiful.
The festival music greatly lifts the mood, featuring tunes that do not have set music scores, but rather, are songs that have been passed on vocally for more than 300 years from generation to generation. The musical arrangements for each town are subtly different and we definitely recommend listening for them!
Please take a look at a video taken and edited by Tadaima Japan in 2013.

Dates：Every year on October 4th～6th
Festival’s eve: The 4th, festival day: The 5th, and day after the festival: The 6th

Map

1-61 Honcho, Nihon-matsu city, Fukushima Prefecture