Family Autumn Traditions - Sky Lantern Nights

In recent years Sky Lantern events have become very popular in Saitama Prefecture. There are dozens of Sky Lantern events on annually. This past weekend there were at least three different sky lantern events on in the prefecture, just North of Tokyo. It has become a tradition of my family to attend a sky lantern event each Autumn. And keeping up with that tradition, last night we headed along to one of the lesser known sky lantern events, for a lovely evening of light and love... a very romantic person proposed by lantern!

Sky Lanterns

The sky lanterns that are usually available at these type of events are rectangle shaped helium balloons with a LED light inside. In my experience, you usually have to order your lantern well in advance of the event and then pick it up at a designated spot on the day of the event. They can cost anything from 500 yen to 3500 yen, for one lantern. I find that the cost depends greatly on the quality of the lantern. Last nights lantern was the most expensive we've gotten to date, costing 3500 yen. But it is also the best quality of the ones we've seen so far.

When you pick up your lantern it is a blank canvas. They usually leave out markers that can write on the material so you can personalize your lantern. Most people do this, but this year we decided to leave ours blank. We have in previous years drawn on the lanterns. Some people write messages. Last night, one man wrote a personal message to his girlfriend, got down on one knee and proposed. I unfortunately missed this special moment, but one of my daughters saw the whole thing and was right beside the happy couple. Reportedly everyone that witnessed it ruptured into applause.

Sky lantern event

What they usually do at these events is have a specified launch time, when they ask everyone to turn on their lights at the same time, and launch them into the sky after a countdown. However, you do not release them. Which is not something they made clear last night and about three dozen people actually let go of the string on their lanterns and their 3500 yen lanterns floated off into the night sky! Which looked so beautiful, but can cause a lot of problems, especially if the lantern is left on its string.

At last night's event they played two songs in a row, Disney ones from memory, while the lanterns danced in the star filled sky. When the music stopped a lot of people reeled in their lanterns and headed home. That was at about 7 pm, but we stayed until the end, an hour later. The kids delighted in running around the soccer pitch of the park, illuminated only dimly by park lights and the last remaining sky lanterns.