The Yamaga Lantern Festival, a summer tradition in Yamaga, Kumamoto Prefecture, is held every August.
The entire town is decorated with fantastic lights, and about 1,000 women in yukata (summer kimono) hold up gold lanterns on their heads and dance gracefully to the slow, emotional music of the Sennin Toro Odori (“Thousand-Person Lantern Dance”), a spectacular dance performance. (Tickets for special viewing seats for the “Thousand-Person Lantern Dance” are on sale from today.)