About this Festival

Toumyou is used to light up Hakata for this festival. It is a traditional light in Japan. One day,There were many festivals and religious ceremonies using toumyou throughout Japan.

People used to hold the event called "SEN-TOUMYOU" in Japan. At SEN-TOUMYOU, they put TOUMYOU in the shrines and temples with a prayer for family's health, exorcism and the like. TOUMYOU was made with the large broken bamboo, putting sands into it and shells over it. Pouring oil into TOUMYOU, it was lighted with paper string as wick.

Unfortunately, SEN-TOUMYOU had gradually disappeared. But people hit on a new festival. "Hakata Toumyou Lantern Arts" is inspired by SEN-TOUMYOU and other traditional Japanese customs. It's a new type of community activity, involving many people including professional artists.

Though TOUMYOU becomes simple made with Japanese paper and candle not with bamboo today, it still has fantastic glow. Toumyou uses a candle instead of an electric light bulb. The candle of Japan is different from the candle of the West. The candle of West is made so that the flame may not flicker even if the wind blow. On the other hand, the candle of Japan is made so that the flame may flicker even if the wind doesn't blow. Candlelight licks in the air and makes us feel very romantic. Photographs just don't do justice to appreciate the beauty of thousands of candlelight.

Hakata, the centeral town of Fukuoka City, is the oldest thrived town, though Kyoto is popular in the foreign countries. People live together with its history and its tradition. After World War II, the decrease of population and the dull of commerce caused the town to lose energy. Therefore, HAKATA COMMUNITY PROMOTION COUNCIL was established to make this town lively in 1994 and executed Hakata Toumyou Lantern Arts Festival as one of their activities. This led us to hold HAKATA TOUMYOU LANTERN ARTS FESTIVAL to make the town vigorously.

HAKATA TOUMYOU LANTERN ARTS FESTIVAL is held every year from March, 1994. Though it was not well-known and most people didn't show their interests in it at first, it develops into the energetic activity with many volunteers. And now, many powerful enterprises have joined in it. In Fukuoka City, the government also joins actively to support as a part of HAKATA WARD TOWN PLANNING SUPPORT PROJECT.

Hundreds of TOUMYOU are floated in the Hakata River not only decorating it in the shrines and temples, waving flame of the candle shows its attraction softly. At the 4th festival(1998), we started to make the huge TOUMYOU art. Based on the artist's plan, we make the huge drawing with thousands of pieces of TOUMYOU in the old Gokusyo elementary school and the old Ohama elementary school. It's one of specialty of HAKATA TOUMYOU LANTERN ARTS FESTIVAL. And you can get TOUMYOU at Hakata Machiya Folk Museum and walk down to Reizen Park to decorate on the monument as you like. Everyone can join easily.

GORYON-SAN, the Hakata dialect for housewife, will guide around the course so that you can see the whole view points efficiently. Walking down the streets with the shines of TOUMYOU, it will show you the other side of Hakata.

A lot of men and women of all ages cooperate to succeed at this event. They do setting up, making TOUMYOU and its art, raising the fund, etc. It's our great pleasure that Many children also enjoy to help us.

Although it's very short for only 3 hours lighting of TOUMYOU, it makes a deep impression on us. And the people, the administration and the enterprises become one with this event nowadays.