Ōmiya Shrine, Yamaga

photo by Siwamura · CC BY-SA 3.0

photo by Simasakon · CC BY-SA 3.0

The lanterns are made only of paper and glue, without a single nail: 200 yen to see them up close.

At the back of the grounds there is a separate building, the lantern hall, where all the lanterns the city offered to the shrine the previous August are kept: you go in and see them from half a metre away. They are miniature castles and temples, made only of glued Japanese paper, and they stand up without a single nail. Every year the old ones are taken out and the new ones take their place.

The grounds cover ten thousand square metres. According to tradition, the shrine stands where the twelfth emperor, Keikō, is said to have lodged during his tour of Kyūshū, and it was dedicated to him on the site of that temporary residence. The lanterns come from the same story: the inhabitants are said to have welcomed him in thick fog holding torches, and between 1592 and 1596 the torches were replaced by paper lanterns to be offered to the shrine. The grounds also hold a group of stelae dedicated to Sarutahiko, the god who opens the way. The festival that grew out of it, the 山鹿灯籠まつり, is now known throughout the country.

ℹ️ The lantern hall is open 8:00–16:30; 200 yen for adults and high school students, 100 yen for young people and children, reduced to 180 and 80 yen for groups of at least twenty people. Address: 〒861-0501 山鹿市山鹿196; telephone: 0968-44-1257. The hall had been closed from 17 June 2026 for about a month of works; after the earthquake of 28 July it is advisable to phone to check whether it is open. In 2026 the festival was reduced to the shrine rites alone: the fireworks, the dance of the thousand lanterns and the festival square were cancelled. The lanterns remain on display at twenty-seven spots around the city on 15 and 16 August, with a stamp trail.

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · yamaga-tanbou.jp · yamaga-tanbou.jp · yamaga-tanbou.jp

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