On Saturday, August 30, “Shukugawa Senbon Toka（しゅくがわせんぼんとうか）” was held in Shukugawa, so we went to check it out. Shachomi was mostly doing the live stream and didn’t really get to take photos, so this article is brought to you with photos by Kuroki-san.
This year marked the 27th edition of the long-running “Shukugawa Senbon Toka,” which started in 1999. Quite a few people may not know about it.
It’s made using 1,000 candles and specially prepared plastic bottles.
At first, they used different kinds of containers like aluminum cans, but after a lot of trial and error, they switched to plastic bottles about 20 years ago.
They have water inside. That keeps them from tipping over in the wind. Even if the candle spills, it’s less likely to go out. And when it’s time to clean up, they can be crushed and taken home easily.
Most of all, plastic bottles reflect the light beautifully, which is really nice too.
Oh. Looks like we’re seeing something a little different.
That’s right! Since it’s the 100th anniversary of Nishinomiya’s municipal administration, there’s a “100.” And then…
The “に” is the “ni” in Nishinomiya properly in red and green
Apparently, Mayor Ishii also lit a whole lot of candles with a long lighter on this candle day. Seeing this “100” lit up for the 100th anniversary must have felt pretty special.
Shukugawa Senbon Toka began as an event rooted in the wish to “preserve nature forever,” including Shukugawa’s cherry trees, pine trees, and river.
There are mountains, and there’s a river. As Shachomi was walking around, she could even hear crickets chirping. It really is great that Nishinomiya has a full set of natural scenery.
The summer festival was nice too, but the sound of the river was so calming. People in yukata, surrounded by the glow of candles. It feels like this will become one of Nishinomiya’s summer traditions.
It’s held every year on the last Saturday of August. Even at night, it was really, really hot that day. Ahhh, I should’ve brought a portable fan.
This one is a still from the Nishitsu live stream
It’s Myaku-Myaku-sama~~. These were painted by children from Koshikiiwa~~. They look even prettier with the colors added.
These plastic bottle candles are taken home as souvenirs by little kids and other visitors. Seems like something that could become a lifelong memory.
A dog, which Shachomi loves. This Shiba Inu’s collar was glowing like crazy too. The newer ones light up in rainbow colors, huh?
There was a crowd by the bridge near Kurakuenguchi Station.
So this is what everyone wanted to take photos of.
We also got to take photos of a family with small children. Did they turn out nicely?
Listeners left lots of comments too, like “It’s so beautiful,” “It’s moving,” “It’s soothing,” and “This would be great for a date too, it’s really such a beautiful scene.”
This event began from the desire to preserve nature forever. Candles and plastic bottles are man-made things, but the flickering flames were so lovely and beautiful that it made me want to come again next year. Kuroki-san, thank you for the wonderful photos! Great photos really are moving.
