Overview
- On Jan. 10, volunteers and elementary school children gathered at Aina Satoyama Park to craft bamboo lanterns using bamboo harvested on site and to inscribe messages.
- The perpetual gas lamp known as 1/17 Kibō no Akari at Higashi Yūenchi began distributing its flame to local events the same day.
- About 20 groups, including schools and volunteer organizations, transferred the fire to candles and their own lanterns to carry to memorials and lessons.
- The flame sharing continues through Jan. 17 with roughly 50 groups expected in total, and a distribution to Wajima, Ishikawa, is planned in February.
- The bamboo lanterns and the shared flame are set to be lit at the city’s Jan. 17 memorial at Higashi Yūenchi, as participants pledge to carry memories forward and prepare for future quakes.