October the 22nd marked the 22nd time the Hakata Toumyou Watching event has taken place.
On this night, tens of thousands of Votive Candles light up the streets of Hakata and the surrounding areas, temples, and shrines making for some very beautiful sights.
This was my first time experiencing such an event, and the sheer volume of lanterns was amazing. In total, there are around 40,000! To see them arranged in such beautiful and creative ways was truly a sight to behold!
The streets are filled with crowds of locals, visitors and tourists who all want to be a part of the Festival of Lights.
The beauty of the lanterns also makes for quite a romantic atmosphere. If you want to take your partner out for a romantic walk, you should definitely check out the Hakata Toumyou Watching next year!
The journey began at Hakata Subway Station, with lanterns lining the street all the way to Gofukumachi and beyond. As we continued down the trail of lanterns, we witnessed many amazing displays, completely unlike anything I had ever seen before.
The inside of shrines and temples were also filled with lanterns, artwork, and welcoming messages. It truly is one of those experiences that must be experienced first-hand, a simple photograph or blog post can’t do it justice. So, if you happen to be in Fukuoka in October, you should definitely check this festival out!
If you really want to experience this event to its fullest, you can begin at Hakata station and make your way to Bayside Hakata (around 3km walk). You can stop at a dozen or more areas that are packed with these beautiful Votive Candles.
