Every year, a traditional Japanese lantern floating festival is held at Chidori-ga-fuchi Moat, on the Imperial Palace grounds. For two nights, over 2000 lanterns, representing people’s gratitude, hope and wishes for peace, twinkle on the surface of the water.
This year’s event will take place from Wednesday, July 24 to Thursday, July 25. Visitors can come just to see the enchanting sight — there are multiple viewing sites around the moat — or they can participate in the festival directly, either by buying their own lantern or buy taking a boat ride on the water. Lanterns must be purchased in advance, for ¥2000, via the festival website. Boat rides can also be booked through the website, for a fee of ¥10,000; each boat can fit three people and comes with three lanterns. Note that the boat rental is a lottery which closes on July 2.
From the official website:
The solemn and fantastic scenery is as beautiful as a scene from a story. The predecessor of this event, “Chiyoda-ku Noryo no Yube” (Summer Evening in Chiyoda City), started in 1958 to heal the hearts of people devastated by the postwar period.
From the past to the future, from Chiyoda City to the world.
The wishes of the people are connected as one.
