Nagasaki Lantern Festival

Because this festival was started by Chinese residents of Nagasaki to celebrate the Chinese New Year, it originally took place in Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown as a “Chinese New Year Celebration.” However, in 1994 it grew to become the “Nagasaki Lantern Festival” and became a major seasonal tradition illuminating Nagasaki’s winter. The Nagasaki Lantern Festival takes place every year from January 1st of the Lunar Calendar (Chinese New Year) to January 15th, spanning 15 days of activities. During this time, similar to the Lantern Festival in China, over 15,000 Chinese lanterns richly paint Nagasaki’s Shinchi Chinatown, Hama-ichi, and Kankodori Arcade as well as other parts of the city. You will be fascinated by the wide expanse of events dripping in the color of China