1000 Vietnamese Lanterns Dazzle Visitors in Toyama Pref.; Festival was Inspired by Resemblance Between Cities in Japan, Vietnam  

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:57 JST, August 9, 2024

A thousand Vietnamese lanterns are on display in the city of Namerikawa, Toyama Prefecture. The Namerikawa Lantern Festival, in which lanterns are displayed at various spots in the city, begun in 2010, because the city’s Sewa district resembles the cityscape of Hoi An, a city in the central region of Vietnam which is known for its own traditional lantern festival.

The Kyuu Miyazaki Shuzo Sakagura (old Miyazaki brewery sake storehouse), the festival’s main venue, requires attendees to make reservations if they will arrive before noon on Saturday. However, between 1 pm and 9 pm on Saturday and Sunday, it can be accessed without reservations. The festival will last through Sunday.