How to Float a Lantern
There are two
ways to take part
Anyone can take part on the day.
For both methods, lanterns can be purchased at the reception tents from 7:00 a.m. in the morning, and floating them begins at 6:00 p.m..
-
Float it yourself
After writing your message on the colored paper, you assemble the lantern yourself and float it directly onto the river.
- * Because many people take part, there may be a wait before you can float your lantern.
- * The wooden frame and candle are handed to you when you assemble the lantern.
-
Entrust your lantern
After filling in the application form or writing your message on the colored paper, the organizers assemble the lantern and float it from the lantern boat.
Steps for floating a lantern
-
01
Buy a lantern sheet at a reception tent
Reception 7:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
1 lantern 1,000 yen (with a picture postcard)
* While supplies last
* Cash only. Includes a picture postcard
Postcards alone are also sold at 100 yen each.There are 5 reception tents. You can buy a lantern and a postcard at any of them.
- If you use a wheelchair or need assistance, please come to the "volunteer tent."
- The tent marked with a ★(star) closes at 2:00 p.m.
Lantern reception tent 
-
02
Choose how to float your lantern
Choose either "float it yourself" or "entrust your lantern," where the organizers float it for you.
- Because many people take part in "float it yourself," there may be a wait before you can float your lantern.
Float it yourself
Entrust your lantern -
03
Float your lantern
Floating 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
* Even before 6:00 p.m., you can write your message on the lantern sheet at the reception tent.
Float it yourself
- Receive the lantern sheet at a reception tent and write your message.
- From 6:00 p.m., bring your lantern sheet to the entrance of the "waterside terrace" on the west side of Motoyasu Bridge. Follow the staff's guidance to line up and go down to the riverside.
-
Receive the wooden frame and candle and assemble them. Place the lantern sheet over them and light the candle.
* Citizen volunteers will help with assembly and lighting. - Float your lantern.
- Because many people take part in "float it yourself," there may be a wait before you can float your lantern.
- The waterside terrace can be slippery, so please take care.
- Once you have floated your lantern, please move on promptly to prevent congestion.
Entrust your lantern
- At a reception tent, choose the application form or a lantern sheet. If you bought a lantern sheet, write your message.
- From 6:00 p.m., the organizers float the lanterns one by one from the "lantern boat." (on the river between the Atomic Bomb Dome and Motoyasu Bridge)
Waterside terrace
You can also float a
lantern online
If you live far away or find it hard to attend on the day, please join us this way.
Float a lantern carrying your hopes for peace on a virtual river, and your words will be projected on digital signage at facilities and around the city of Hiroshima.
Lantern Floating venue projection
Location: Lantern Floating area entrance, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (Riverbank area facing the Atomic Bomb Dome)
Organized by: Hiroshima - 3rd Generation Exhibition: Succeeding to History
About the
lantern paper
You can choose the lantern paper in red, blue, yellow, pink, orange, green or white.
You can also choose "Orizuru recycled paper" (white), made from the paper cranes offered at the Children's Peace Monument.
* Supplies are limited, so we may not always be able to meet your request. Thank you for your understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I float a lantern I made myself?
Hiroshima Lantern Floating Ceremony is run with the lantern fees you pay, so we ask that you buy your lantern on site if possible. You may float a lantern you made yourself, but materials that cause pollution, such as plastic or Styrofoam, cannot be used. A lantern made only of paper can be floated. Note that once a lantern has been floated, it cannot be retrieved.
Q. Where do I receive the wooden frame and candle?
For "float it yourself," you receive them from staff at the waterside terrace just before floating your lantern, and assemble them together with the lantern sheet.
Q. What do people usually write on the lanterns?
Originally, people wrote the names of the deceased or of the person floating the lantern in remembrance. Today, many people write a peace message expressing their hopes for peace.
Q. When is it most crowded?
It is most crowded from about 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Q. Where can I watch Lantern Floating Ceremony?
You can watch freely from the banks of the Motoyasu River or from the bridges.
The waterside terrace where lanterns are floated gets very crowded, so please refrain from staying there after you have floated your lantern.
Q. Can I also float a lantern from the Atomic Bomb Dome side?
The lantern floating on the Atomic Bomb Dome side is run by a different organization from Lantern Floating Ceremony Exective Committe and is outside the committee's purview.
Q. Is the event held in the rain?
It is held in light rain.
If it is cancelled, we will announce it on the website and elsewhere.
Q. Can I go into the river?
No. For everyone's safety, please never do this.
Q. Can I film with a drone?
No. Drone filming is prohibited on the premises.
Q. Can I shoot with a professional camera or a tripod?
Yes, but please do so where you will not disturb others. If you shoot at the waterside terrace, please be considerate not to get in the way of people floating lanterns, and move on promptly afterward.
Q. If I need assistance, can I ask the staff?
Yes. Please ask at a reception tent.
Q. Are there staff who speak foreign languages?
A small number, yes. Please ask at a reception tent.
Q. Do the floated lanterns drift all the way to the sea?
No. Out of concern for the environment and for fisheries, the lanterns are now collected downstream and incinerated. In the past, some lanterns are said to have drifted as far as the Shikoku area.
Q. Can I buy a lantern in advance?
From around April each year, you can buy lantern sheets in advance at the shop in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Rest House.