Travel Mikawa Isshiki Giant Lantern Festival

The Mikawa Isshiki Giant Lantern Festival (三河一色大提灯まつり), a vibrant spectacle with a history dating back over 450 years, illuminated the Suwajinja shrine (諏訪神社 西尾市) on 24 August. Twelve enormous lanterns, the largest reaching 10 metres in height and 5.6 metres in diameter, adorned the shrine grounds. These colourful lanterns, depicting historical scrolls, were ignited by candles after 7 p.m., casting a magical glow amidst the lingering summer warmth. Legend has it that the festival's origins lie in a grand bonfire lit to ward off evil spirits from the sea. The tradition of dedicating lanterns to the shrine is believed to have started during the early Edo Period.

Paper lanterns are a traditional Japanese lighting fixture consisting of a bamboo frame covered with paper and a candle at the bottom. Suwa Jinja Shrine in Isshiki, Nishio, holds its over 450-year-old Mikawa Isshiki Lantern Festival in late August with giant paper lanterns six to ten meters high and designated prefectural tangible folk cultural properties. Six pairs, totalling twelve of these lanterns, depict Japanese myths and historical scenes and flicker with candlelight to create a surreal atmosphere.

Click to expand...

Something didn't seem right about this to me, but then I searched and discovered that Isshiki-cho (Town of Ishiki) is sadly no more. It was incorporated into the city of Nishio in 2011.