The lantern motif appears on railing pillars (Photo: Elizabeth Scally)
- 1 min read

Sugito Town Lantern Festival

The Milky Way reflected in the Old Tone River

Venue: Furutone River When: Late Aug 2024

Sugito Town, one of the many tiny towns wedged between the Edo River and Saitama City, celebrates summer with Furutone River Lantern Festival.

For two nights in early August, the town displays two lines of up to 300 floating lanterns in the river. The lanterns, made by hand by local businesses, community groups and schools, are unique for their size. These paper and wood constructions are about the size of a tatami mat. Two lines of the giant lanterns snake along a 1 kilometer stretch of the Furutone River, which the town describes as “the Milky Way Fallen to Earth”.

Celebrations each night begin around 5 p.m. with an opening ceremony, awa odori and yosakoi dances, and popular and folk music. Each night, the festivities conclude with a fireworks display.

The festival is a great way to wrap up a visit to nearby Tobu Zoo or the relaxing Uta and Yu hot spring.

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Sleiman Azizi 4 years ago
Wow, Milk Way fallen to Earth... that really is an evocative description for the event.
Sleiman Azizi 4 years ago
It is, it really is.
Kim 4 years ago
Gosh this is beautiful!
Elizabeth S Author 4 years ago
It’s stunning to see the rows of lanterns disappearing into the distance, and the reflections of the lights nd colors on the river.

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