An ever iconic tradition of Japan synonymous with the late summer is that of the “Natsu-Matsuri,” or summer festival. Typically within the vicinity of a shrine or castle, all throughout Japan stalls are set up with exuberant banners and bright lights, families dress up in yukatas and shaved ice is ground in a near constant flurry. Several of these festivals are also hosted within Shiga, with one of particular scale and note being Taga Taisha’s annual 10,000 Lantern Festival.

A short train ride from Hikone Station into the rural countryside, once a year in early August, the grounds of the shrine are decorated with hundreds of lanterns as locals flood to the typically quiet area. When my class travelled there, we filed onto a local rail line with the crowd of Japanese tourists, enjoying the brief respite of the hot August heat the train’s AC provided.

Shuffling off the train, we were greeted with a large stone torii gate marking the entrance to a town that had seemingly been preserved from the Showa era; the streets lined with buildings composed of rustic dark wooden facades and rusty beige garage door shutters. As we walked closer to the reverie, the streets grew narrower as the sides were filled by the typical brightly colored food stands, offering takoyaki, cucumber on a stick, grilled meats, Yakisoba and a litany of fried foods. Going from the typically quiet, organized hubbub of daily Japanese life to maneuvering through throngs of people in chaotic street squares draped in vibrant imagery and delicious smells felt like stepping into another world, a fun change in pace from the rigorous final exam preparation my class had recently begun.

Heading in through the large wooden gates of the shrine’s entrance, we entered into a large stone courtyard before the shrine’s Honden, or main hall, where the sky was filled with hundreds and hundreds of lanterns, each with the name of a family or company from the area scrawled across the front. It was truly breathtaking, with the rows of suspended  lanterns stretching all through the shrine's expanse, making it feel as if there were a near infinite number of them floating in the air.

Shortly after our arrival, a crowd suddenly began to form around the main pathway of the shrine. The reason quickly became clear, however, as a procession of people donned in traditional Japanese religious clothing began to walk by, flanked by others playing a lilting melody on traditional Japanese instruments, such as the shakuhachi. At the center of this group were two women carrying brass lanterns, both carrying within them small flames. The procession slowly made their way into the Honden, and disappeared from sight, as Japanese tourists around us waited with bated breath. Suddenly, all of the once dormant lanterns burst to life, shining brightly down on the crowd to cheers and claps, painting the shrine orange in their softly glowing light, a beautiful contrast with the now dark sky.

The events of the night carried on with a renewed vigor, and upon seeing a crowd beginning to form around a stage to the right side of the shrine’s grounds, we began to move that way ourselves. A small band began to play music much like that heard at Noh Theatre, as four traditionally clad miko, or shrine maidens, slowly walked out onto the main platform, each of them brandishing small sheathed blades. They then began to perform a beautiful, slow rhythmic dance to this music, utilizing the blades as well as small golden bells. This was a breathtaking performance unlike anything I had ever seen during my time in Japan.

Walking through the golden glow of strung lanterns and iridescent bulbs while eating kakegori, a Japanese shaved ice, with my friends was a relaxing experience that allowed me to experience Japanese culture in a wholly new manner. Even though it was only an evening trip, it is without a doubt one of my fondest memories from studying in Shiga, and I highly recommend visiting Taga Taisha’s Lantern Festival, as well as any other local Japanese Festivals to anyone travelling to Japan.