Giant Kiriko Lantern Festival Kicks Off in Quake-Stricken Noto; Participants Carry Floats, Chant to Raise Enthusiasm for Reconstruction

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:41 JST, July 5, 2025

Giant kiriko lantern floats parade on Friday through the Ushitsu district in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was hit hard by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake last year. All 36 of the city’s community associations took part in the traditional two-day Abare Festival, the first in a series of Kiriko Festivals, this year. Last year, four of them were unable to participate due to the disaster.

The participants’ chants echoed through the town, boosting enthusiasm for rebuilding the quake-hit area, as about 40 floats, each over six meters tall, were carried down the street.

In the evening, the floats gathered near the Ushitsu Pier, where torches burned high in the air. The people were all united in their desire to revive the Noto area.