Lantern floating (Toronagashi) is a yearly Japanese ritual which takes place all over the country in August. In this ritual, people float lanterns and offerings onto the water to commemorate the souls of loved ones and ancestors.

More than 2,000 lanterns are floated onto the Otakine River running through the downtown area of Funabiki-cho, Tamura City in Fukushima Prefecture. It started in 1949 as a ritual of the Bon season to commemorate the victims of World War II. Since then it became the custom of the town and together with the fireworks display, which started in 1955, it is now the town’s typical summer event.

The lantern contest is held to choose the most beautiful lantern among the ones made by many teams of the town. The syle changes with the times, but lanterns carry away people’s continuing prayers for the souls of the deseased under the brilliant displays of the fireworks.