Nara at night
Saturday, the 11th, we ventured out into the heat and headed for Nara, stopping first in Kyoto. We needed to transfer there anyway to a different train line, so we stopped for a quick supper of pizza (and tiramisu.)
Nara is having a week long light festival. Every evening from 7 until 9:45 we can walk a route mapped out for us and see thousands of candles lit. Some are along the pathway, some are in yards, some are along the lake. They use different kinds of candle light lanterns... thousands of luminarios (candles floating on water in a tall white plastic glass) placed on the ground, portable Japanese-style lanterns you can carry on a stick, and bamboo with candles in them placed along the walkway. It's really stunning.
The thousands of lights are really beautiful, but what amazes me even more are the thousands of people out walking the route. We walked and took pictures for two hours and saw maybe half of the display. There were families out with lots of kids, people apparently on dates, friends out together, and I think it's the most handicapped people I've seen out with someone pushing them in their wheel chair. It was amazing. Back in my hometown they have a Christmas light display that one can drive through and see more than a million lights, and lots of people go see that. But I can't imagine that thousands upon thousands of people would walk for hours, and this is going on for a week. I'm impressed.
Since we were in Nara, the little deer were out walking around the crowds, probably looking for some food from them. On parts of the route there were stands where one could buy candles to add to the display or to carry. Many of the displays were around buildings of national interest, so one could go in and visit. There was one section that reminded me of the midway at the county fair with food booths on either side of the road. On the way back to the train station we saw this store.
At first I thought it was part of the obon festivals, but it just seems to be its own light festival.
We got home a little before midnight, late for us, but I'm really glad we went.
Nara is having a week long light festival. Every evening from 7 until 9:45 we can walk a route mapped out for us and see thousands of candles lit. Some are along the pathway, some are in yards, some are along the lake. They use different kinds of candle light lanterns... thousands of luminarios (candles floating on water in a tall white plastic glass) placed on the ground, portable Japanese-style lanterns you can carry on a stick, and bamboo with candles in them placed along the walkway. It's really stunning.
The thousands of lights are really beautiful, but what amazes me even more are the thousands of people out walking the route. We walked and took pictures for two hours and saw maybe half of the display. There were families out with lots of kids, people apparently on dates, friends out together, and I think it's the most handicapped people I've seen out with someone pushing them in their wheel chair. It was amazing. Back in my hometown they have a Christmas light display that one can drive through and see more than a million lights, and lots of people go see that. But I can't imagine that thousands upon thousands of people would walk for hours, and this is going on for a week. I'm impressed.
Since we were in Nara, the little deer were out walking around the crowds, probably looking for some food from them. On parts of the route there were stands where one could buy candles to add to the display or to carry. Many of the displays were around buildings of national interest, so one could go in and visit. There was one section that reminded me of the midway at the county fair with food booths on either side of the road. On the way back to the train station we saw this store.
At first I thought it was part of the obon festivals, but it just seems to be its own light festival.
We got home a little before midnight, late for us, but I'm really glad we went.