People look at floating lanterns on the Watarase River in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, on August 17.
12:38 JST, September 4, 2024
ASHIKAGA, Tochigi — Toro-nagashi, an event where lanterns are hung to appease the souls of the dead, was held on August 17 on the banks of the Watarase River in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture.
Participants watched lanterns float on the river as they said prayers for their ancestors and loved ones who had passed away.
In Ashikaga, Toro-Nagashi has been held every August 17 since 1950. During this event, the souls of ancestors and deceased loved ones are waved off to the afterlife. This occurs at the end of the Bon holiday, during which souls are said to spend time with the living.
On August 17 this year, people held their hands together and floated lanterns across the river.
“When I see the lanterns floating away, it feels like our ancestors are going back,” said Masami Suzuki from Ashikaga, who went to Toro-nagashi with her mother.
