Written by Patrick Balfe
Witness giant crashing lantern floats in this harvest festival in Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture.
What happens
Held over two nights, the festival centers around enormous paper lantern floats, often over 6–7 meters tall, carried and maneuvered through the streets to the sound of drums and wooden clappers.
The floats are meticulously crafted by local townspeople and then collide in battle in three locations around the city. The event is said to have originated in the Taishō era and is held to pray for a good harvest after rice planting season.
Schedule
The first night of the festival is the lantern float competition in which each town showcases its works in a bid to determine whose work is considered the most spectacular. The floats are then lined up in the center of town. The main event happens on the second night when the battles take place, and the floats collide.
How to get there
The judging, processions, and collisions take place in various locations in the center of town, about a 1–5 minute walk from Tonami Station on the JR Jōhana Line.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
