Ishikawa: Ritual bonfire lights up festival

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:25 JST, November 13, 2022

KANAZAWA — A festival related to the popular animated TV series “Hanasaku Iroha” was held at the Yuwaku hot spring resort in Kanazawa on Oct. 22. The Yukawa Bonbori Matsuri, held for the first time in three years, was lit up by 500 bonbori traditional lanterns. The event was attended by about 1,500 people, including fans of the anime.

The anime tells the story of a female high school student growing up in a hot spring resort town modeled after the Yuwaku hot springs. The Yuwaku Onsen Tourism Association reproduced a festival that appears in the anime to help revitalize the local community.

During the festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, the town’s plaza saw long queues in front of stalls selling merchandise and local foods. In the evening, nozomi fuda wooden tablets bearing the wishes of visitors were burned in a ritual bonfire at Yuwaku Inari Jinja shrine.

A 21-year-old college student from Nonoichi, Ishikawa Prefecture, said with a smile that he was impressed with the beautiful bonbori lanterns.