A River of Small Lights — Experiencing Toro Nagashi on a Summer Night in Tokyo

On August 15, 2026, the Sumida River near Asakusa had a slightly different atmosphere from usual.

There were an astonishing number of people along the river. Many were foreign visitors, and even Azuma Bridge was packed with people.

Was this another event like the Sumida River Fireworks Festival?

Or perhaps a music festival?

No.

The people standing in line were holding small paper lanterns.

They would light the candles inside them and, one by one, release the lanterns onto the Sumida River from a small riverside ramp.

I had come to see toro nagashi, the traditional Japanese custom of floating lanterns on a river or other body of water during the summer Obon season.

So, What Is Obon?

Bon Odori

Before getting into the lanterns themselves, it helps to understand what Obon is.

Obon is a traditional summer period when people welcome and honor the spirits of deceased ancestors. It is generally observed around August 13 to 16, although the timing and customs vary from region to region.

According to tradition, the spirits of ancestors return home during this period.

Families therefore have customs for welcoming them, such as lighting a fire called mukaebi, or “welcoming fire,” to help guide them home. At the end of Obon, another fire, okuribi, or “sending-off fire,” is traditionally used to see them off.

Bon Odori, the traditional dances held in communities during the summer, is another familiar part of Obon.

Obon is not necessarily a sad occasion.

For many people, it is also part of the rhythm of the Japanese summer holiday: leaving the city to visit family in their hometown, children running around at their relatives’ houses, and everyone enjoying summer festivals, Bon Odori, and fireworks in the evening. In fact, even the brilliant fireworks that light up the night sky are sometimes thought to share a subtle connection with mukaebi or okuribi—a way to guide or see off the spirits of ancestors, depending on local tradition and interpretation.

All of these things are connected to the idea of welcoming loved ones home and then seeing them off again.

Toro nagashi is one expression of this tradition. Candles are placed inside lanterns, which are then floated down rivers or out to sea as a way of seeing off the spirits of ancestors and the deceased.

That is what the little lanterns floating down the Sumida River represent—a quiet way of sending off ancestors and loved ones at the end of Obon.

A Tradition That Began on the Sumida River

Toro nagashi on the Sumida River is said to have begun in 1946, just after the end of World War II, as part of a postwar reconstruction festival.

It was intended to honor people who had died in events such as the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Tokyo air raids, while also expressing hopes for recovery and peace.

But the river itself was changing.

As flood-control structures and other developments were built along the Sumida River, it became increasingly difficult for people to reach the water's edge. Toro nagashi eventually came to an end in the mid-1960s.

Then, after riverside waterfront terraces were developed, the tradition was revived in 2005, roughly 40 years after it had been discontinued.

In other words, the event we see today has followed the changing history of Tokyo itself: it began in the aftermath of war, disappeared during a period of rapid urban development, and eventually returned in a very different city.

Japan was entering its period of rapid economic growth when the original event was discontinued in the mid-1960s. Tokyo itself has changed enormously since then.

And so has Asakusa.

What may once have been a small local gathering has become an event taking place in one of Tokyo's most internationally visited neighborhoods, where people from many different countries now take part.

A River of Lanterns Beneath the Tokyo Skyline

This is where the lanterns are sold.

In 2026, a lantern purchased on the day cost ¥2,000. Visitors can write their own messages on the lantern before releasing it.

The price was displayed not only in Japanese but also in English and Chinese.

I saw many foreign children writing messages on their lanterns. Among the lanterns I noticed were messages written in Japanese, English, French, Chinese, Korean, and several other languages.

Once their lanterns were ready, people lit the candles by the river and carried them to the designated ramp, where they released them onto the water.

As the sun slowly went down, the number of little lights on the river increased.

Against the modern Tokyo skyline—with Tokyo Skytree and the distinctive Asahi Beer buildings visible across the water—the small flames drifted slowly downstream.

It was a quiet, almost dreamlike scene.

The messages people wrote revealed just how personal the tradition has become.

Some wrote family names or the names of ancestors. Others wrote messages to people who had passed away. Some expressed wishes for their own health or the well-being of their families.

I even saw a lantern with a photograph of what appeared to be a beloved pet that had died.

Traditionally, toro nagashi is associated with honoring ancestors and the deceased.

But looking at the messages people actually chose to write, it was clear that the modern version of the tradition has become much broader.

And that did not feel strange to me at all.

Obon is a time when the dead are believed to return and spend time with the living. Perhaps that is precisely why the tradition can also become a moment to look back at the past while thinking about the future.

“World Peace” on August 15

One phrase caught my attention more than any other:

“World peace.”

August 15 is also the day Japan commemorates the end of World War II.

Given the history of toro nagashi on the Sumida River, the connection is not difficult to understand. The event began with remembrance for people who had died in war and disaster, along with hopes for reconstruction and peace.

Yet here we were, 80 years later, watching small lanterns carrying messages of “world peace” drift down the same river.

Wars and conflicts continue around the world.

Perhaps that is why seeing those words on August 15 felt particularly meaningful.

The atmosphere was reflective, but it was not a gloomy event.

Children were smiling along the riverbank. Some people watched the lanterns with a drink in hand. Couples sat quietly looking out over the water.

Obon is not simply about mourning the past. It is also a time when the living and the dead are, in a sense, brought together again.

And perhaps that is why the little lights felt like more than memorials.

They carried memories from the past, wishes for the present, and hopes for the future.

The Sumida River is famous in summer for a very different kind of light: the spectacular fireworks that explode across the night sky.

Toro nagashi is almost the opposite.

There are no huge explosions, no roaring crowds watching the sky, and no spectacular finale.

Instead, there are tiny candle flames drifting quietly across the water.

Yet on the night of August 15, that small river of light felt like something special—a glimpse of a very old human tradition continuing quietly in the middle of modern Tokyo.

Practical Tips for Visiting Toro Nagashi

Planning to visit? Here are three things I noticed during my visit.

 

TIP 1 — Is Buying a Lantern Basically an Entrance Ticket?

Here are a few things I noticed from my visit that may be useful if you want to experience the Sumida River toro nagashi in the future.

If you buy a lantern, you can release it yourself from the riverside ramp. However, for safety reasons, ordinary spectators cannot freely enter the area immediately beside the river.

So buying a lantern does more than simply allow you to float one.

It also gives you access to the riverside area itself.

And you do not have to leave immediately after releasing your lantern. Many people stay by the river, sitting and watching the lanterns drift away or taking photographs.

In that sense, the ¥2,000 lantern also functions, in practice, a little like an entrance ticket to the riverside viewing area.

 

TIP 2 — Try the Sumida Ward Side

Toro nagashi seen from the Sumida Ward side, with Azuma Bridge and the lights of Asakusa in the background.

Lanterns are released from both the Asakusa side of the Sumida River and the Sumida Ward side.

As with the fireworks festival, the Asakusa side can become extremely crowded during events.

One option is to cross Azuma Bridge and walk along the Sumida Ward side instead.

From the Asakusa side, you can enjoy the lanterns with Tokyo Skytree rising behind them. From the Sumida Ward side, you can look across the river toward Asakusa and enjoy the townscape from a different angle.

It is a simple change of viewpoint, but it gives you a different way to enjoy both the lanterns and Asakusa.

 

TIP 3 — You Don't Have to Arrive Early

In 2026, the lantern floating event ran from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Because lanterns are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, there was already a line well before the event began. But that does not necessarily mean you need to arrive several hours early.

When I visited this year, lanterns were still available later in the evening, and people were still able to buy them and take part in the event.

If you arrive around 7:00 p.m., it is also much darker than at the start time, making the lanterns themselves more beautiful and the overall atmosphere more magical. The illuminated bridges and Tokyo Skytree become part of the view as well.

Of course, there is no guarantee that lanterns will still be available on a particular year, especially if the event is especially crowded. But based on my experience in 2026, you don't necessarily have to spend hours waiting from the afternoon just to take part.

If your main goal is to float a lantern and enjoy the nighttime atmosphere, arriving around 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. may be a good option.