Fun in Japan Eye-catching goldfish lanterns light up Yanai festival

(Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival)

Yanai is a beautiful city with a unique tradition of lining up goldfish lanterns along the eaves of its historical wooden buildings. The scenic city is a 50-minute drive from MCAS Iwakuni and will host its annual “Kingyo Chochin Matsuri” (Goldfish Lantern Festival) on Aug. 13.

Historically, Yanai thrived as a merchant’s town throughout the feudal age. Today, remnants of that history are preserved in the city’s “shirakabe no michi” white-walled streets and wooden merchant homes with lattice doors and paper-covered windows. A step into Yanai is a step back in time and the paper goldfish lanterns add to the old Japan atmosphere.

Goldfish are the symbol of Yanai, and paper lanterns are the local craft. For residents of the city, making bamboo and paper lanterns for the buildings, as well as children participating in the festival, is a popular activity.

During the summer festival, locals in traditional matsuri attire carry and parade nearly 30 giant goldfish lantern floats, beautifully painted and lit up from the inside, down streets decorated with 2,500 smaller goldfish lanterns.

While the parade winds through the streets, you can enjoy traditional dancing and music at the main festival site near JR Yanai Station.

Sample Japanese festival foods like yakisoba, yakitori, okonomiyaki, kakigoori shaved ice, cold beer and soft drinks. People can also enjoy traditional Japanese games, including kingyo-sukui (goldfish scooping) and shateki, a shooting game.

Can’t make it to the festival? Don’t worry, the 2,500 goldfish lanterns along the shirakabe no michi are illuminated every night through the end of August.

Enjoy Yanai’s local tradition and take a step back in time this summer.

Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival