One of the most memorable exhibits at Kyoto’s famous Yasaka Shrine is the lantern display that lights up beautifully at night.
Yasaka Shrine is one of Kyoto’s most iconic landmarks. Situated in the traditional city of Gion, home of the geisha, it has seen a rising number of visitors each year. One of Japan’s largest annual festivals, the Gion Matsuri, is also held here and you’ll typically find food stalls setup throughout the year for various events.
Illuminating the night
The lantern displays at Yasaka Shrine are truly a sight to behold.
Donated by various businesses and individuals in the area, they pay homage to their donators by displaying their names in Japanese kanji characters.
You may also find unique signatures and logos included by the businesses themselves
Sowaka makes its mark!
Even my own company in which I worked for 2 years, Sowaka Luxury Hotel, had made their mark with one of these donated paper lanterns!
I noticed the iconic Sowaka signature engraved on one side of the lantern as well as the English letters S-O-W-A-K-A written vertically in small letters.
It was quite surreal to realize that each lantern was totally unique and different from the other, like snapshots of all the businesses small and large that make up the community.
A night to remember!
My brother and I who both worked at Sowaka Luxury Hotel were quite proud to see our company being represented at Yasaka Shrine. It was just another reason to take photos with these lovely paper lanterns, though admittedly the Sowaka lantern was in a quiet corner away from the main exhibit, but at least that meant it was away from the crowds!
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