Nagasaki Lantern Festival

The Nagasaki Lantern Festival has grown from humble beginnings as a Chinese New Year celebration to a dreamy display of over 15,000 lanterns that transform the city into a tapestry of blazing reds and vibrant yellows. The celebration, which takes place during the Lunar New Year, draws over a million tourists to Nagasaki City's Chinatown and surrounding areas to see the lanterns, as well as fireworks, traditional dances, theater performances, and other activities.

After impressing other Nagasaki residents, the festival was expanded and remodelled in 1994 to include all people, fast becoming one of Kyushu's most well-known winter symbols. The Nagasaki Lantern Festival lasts around two weeks and takes place in late January and early February, depending on the weather. The Nagasaki Chinatown, Central Park, the Chinese district of Tojinyashiki, and Kofukuji Temple are among the seven prominent areas illuminated with lanterns.

Location: Nagasaki, Japan

Date: Late January - Early February