Hasedera temple hosts illumination event

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:21 JST, November 20, 2022

KAMAKURA, Kanagawa — An illumination event has kicked off at Hasedera temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, featuring lighting created by spatial designer Kimi Hasegawa, who hails from Fujisawa in the prefecture.

The illuminations run from sunset to 7 p.m. and feature projections that are beamed onto the 1,300-year-old temple’s Kannon-do Hall and its surrounding buildings.

Hydrangeas, which the temple is famous for, and lotus buds, representing the Goddess of Mercy, are among some of the motifs that appear in a special illumination designed by Hasegawa.

“We want visitors to enjoy the view of the temple buildings after dark, as they look completely different during the day,” a Hasedera official said.

The special illumination runs through Nov. 27 and a standard light show featuring autumn leaves runs through Dec. 11.

Admission is ¥400 for junior high school students and older, and ¥200 for elementary school students.