‘Snow Country’ Alight with Orange Lanterns; Festival to Foster Love of Home in Minami-Uonuma, Niigata Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:06 JST, March 27, 2024

MINAMI-UONUMA, Niigata — The Junior Chamber of International Yukiguni in the city of Minami-Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture, held an event on Saturday to help local residents rediscover the charm of the snowy region they call home.

At the event, titled “#YukiguniRantan — Furusato ni Hikari o Tomosu Hi” (#YukiguniLanterns — The Day to Light up Our Hometown), local residents, including families, gathered on Bokushi Street and lit and released into the night sky about 350 lanterns they wrote their wishes on.

The participants also enjoyed taking photos of the orange-lit lanterns on their phones.

“The lanterns went up higher than I thought and were so beautiful,” said an eight-year-old boy of Jonai Primary School.

The event launched last year.