As I was walking in the streets around the neighborhood, I noticed there were lanterns illuminating the dark streets. In the 3 summers that I've lived here, this was the first time I saw these.
I remembered seeing the same kind of lanterns when I was strolling around Meguro River (which I forgot to post by the way!) last Spring. But that was for the cherry blossoms festival. It's summer now, there are no cherry blossoms.
The first time I saw these lanterns this summer was outside the train station near my home. My photo of it wasn't that nice so I'll skip that.
The 2nd time was when I was walking from strolling in Shibuya. I intentionally got off the train station before the one nearest my home so I could walk and kill time. When I passed by a small park in the neighborhood, it was surprisingly bright. It's not usual for this park to be this bright. That was when I saw the lanterns.
They're so pink and there were writings on them. The calligraphy on these lanterns is different from the usual writing styles you'd see in other items.
I snapped a few photos before continuing my walk home.
That's the start of my curiosity. Why do I keep seeing them lately?
I recalled there were some lanterns in Asakusa Temple, so maybe they're the same? I went back to the park and saw there's a very small temple nearby. It's really a quiet temple so I wondered if these lanterns were for this temple's festivities.
One night I was craving snacks so I went to buy at the nearest convenience store. That was when I found the same kind of lanterns in an alley near the store. It's not usual to see them here. There must be a temple nearby. That was what I thought. So I told myself I would check it out after work at night time.
The lanterns in this area were red, not pink ones. And they're hanged apart. I tried following the lanterns and it led me to the temple nearby!
I knew there was a temple here but I completely forgot about it. The first time I stumbled upon this temple was the first few months upon moving into this neighborhood. It's kinda hidden and this wasn't my usual route so being here now was my 2nd time.
The lanterns illuminated the once dimmed temple. I wasn't expecting to see this temple so bright and lively now that there were lanterns illuminating the place.
They must be preparing for the festival. There were traces of festival items like this stand, a taiko drum covered with a blue sheet, and a booth-like structure that wasn't ready yet.
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I've learned these lanterns were called chochin (ζη― or paper lantern). These traditional lanterns are made of Japanese paper with a spiral frame. And I was right that they're for festivals. Summer in Japan means festivals that's why I've been seeing a lot of chochin.
The reason why I was just seeing them this year was because of COVID. There were no festivals in the past years in here which means, this was the first time they're doing the festival again after COVID.
The neighborhood businesses or individuals give a contribution and their names would be on the lantern. That's the meaning behind the different names you'd see in the chochin lanterns. If the contribution is huge, they would have few lanterns. If you don't see the name of the neighborhood restaurants or businesses on these lanterns, that means they haven't contributed. π
The next time you're wondering why you're seeing a lot of these during summer in Japan, you'll know the reason why.
And oh yeah, this temple I've visited, they're having the festival tonight. Should I check it out later? π
Thanks for reading!
See you around! γγγγγΎγγοΌ
With love,
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.