The Okawa River, which runs through central Osaka, was lit up on Friday with 40,000 LED lights floating down the river as they evoked the celestial milky way. The surreal scene was part of a celebration of Tanabata, or the Star Festival, which is a major summer festival in Japan taking place on July 7th. It commemorates the story of two literal star-crossed lovers represented by the stars Vega and Altair who are only allowed to meet each other once a year on that night, as long as the skies are clear.
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The event was organized by the Amanogawa Project, which has been staging similar events for over 10 years. But this year marked the first time in 4 years since covid restrictions were lifted and they were able to temporarily transform a river into the milky way.
The special LEDs, which were designed to light up upon contact with water, are powered by solar energy. After illuminating a large stretch of the river, the LEDs are all caught in a large net.
July 30, 2023 at 8:46 am
Hopefully there’d be a cleanup at the river banks!
Senseless trend that would cause painful and slow deaths to sharks and other sea creatures eating these toxic materials besides causing a disastrous pollution to the seas and oceans. Haven’t we done enough environmental damage without adding more?
August 1, 2023 at 9:29 am
Hi Pauline – not to worry as all the lights are retrieved, collected and re-used.