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The Snow Lantern Festival in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, which has been decided to be held for the first time in three years, is a popular festival with many fans not only among local residents but also within and outside the prefecture
The surroundings are covered in silver, and the warm orange lights flickering in the falling snow draw visitors into a mysterious world
We will introduce information about the Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival, a beautiful festival unique to the snowy country of Yonezawa, along with the dates for 2023 and scenery from past events
What is the Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival?
(Before dawn at Denkoku no Mori Square in Yonezawa City, where the event will be held)
February is the time when news of plum blossoms begins to be heard in warmer regions, but in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, the entire area is covered in snow and shrouded in a silent silence
However, there is a festival that livens up this cold, snowy country
Every year, the Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival features 300 snow lanterns and nearly 1,000 snow lanterns, illuminating the main venue with orange lightThe flickering lights even give off a warmth, and visitorshas been fascinated by
There were also many Instagrammable spots where many people enjoyed taking photos
What is the story behind how the Snow Lantern Festival began?
The Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival, which is being held for the 46th time this year, is said to have originated in 1978 when a memorial tower was made out of snow and lit to commemorate those who died in the Pacific War
With each passing year, the event grew in scale,a major event that brought life to Yonezawa City, which was otherwise isolated by snowbecoming.
A tent village is set up and hot winter delicacies are sold, making this a popular festival that attracts many people
Events have been cancelled due to the coronavirus..
Unfortunately, the Snow Lantern Festival has been canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to the coronavirus
Local construction companies, although not at the usual festival site, built huge lanterns to ensure the snow lanterns would continue to float, fulfilling everyone's expectations
Just looking at this lantern, you can see how much the locals care about snow lanterns!
The event will be held for the first time in three years!
This year,the Snow Lantern Festival (2023), which people from both within and outside the prefecture have been looking forward to,has been confirmed to take place!
We will introduce the dates and venue of the event
February 10th (Friday)
17：30～20：00
Pre-lighting
Saturday, February 11th
17：00～
Memorial service (Uesugi Shrine grounds), lighting of snow lanterns and snow paper lanterns (around Uesugi Castle ruins)
February 12th (Sunday)
17：30～
Snow lanterns and snow lanterns lit (near Uesugi Castle ruins)
On the day of the event, the parking lot at Uesugi Castle Ruins Park will also be used as a festival area, soparking spaceswill be limited.
Therefore,a shuttle bus service (for a fee of 210 yen)will be operating, and a large number of buses are planned, so we recommend using it to avoid traffic congestion.
You can use the city loop bus or taxis from in front of Yonezawa Station, and there are also plans for a special paid shuttle bus from the city hall parking lot. The Yonezawa City Hall parking lot is open free of charge, so if you come by car,it is recommended to take the bus from there.
A winter festival bringing together local residents
Even when the Snow Lantern Festival was canceled, people continued to create and decorate snow lanterns and lanterns at private homes, in front of the high school near the castle ruins, and on the side of the road
The bamboo lanterns made by a volunteer group of local residents are also magnificent!
summary
The Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival, which brightens up the winter in northern Japan, will be held for the first time in three years,transforming the snow-covered world into a dreamlike realm for three days.
Various groups build snow lanterns, ice sculptures, paper lanterns, and other things little by little in the days leading up to the festival, and they are all worth seeing, making this a highly recommended winter festival
The sight of the pure white snow enveloped in warm orange light is sure to draw visitors into a mysterious world
Although you'll be enveloped in what looks like a warm light, it's actually very cold and sometimes even snows heavily, sobe sure to dress warmly andhead out to enjoy a different kind of scenery than usual.
I'm originally from Tokyo, but I've lived in Yamagata Prefecture for over 30 years now. I've become completely accustomed to the local dialect and feel like a local myself. I occasionally
visit neighboring Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures two or three days a month, supposedly to gather material for my blog.
I belong to the middle-aged group that absolutely loves cats, local sake, and local snacks. (My icon is my beloved cat.)
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