Yanai: Goldfish Lanterns Swimming Through a White-Walled Town and Soy Sauce Culture

Yanai City in Yamaguchi Prefecture is appealing for its white-walled streetscapes retaining the atmosphere of a merchant town that prospered through Seto Inland Sea trade in the Edo period. Above all, the endearing folk toy known as the "kingyo chochin" (goldfish lantern) is beloved as the symbol of Yanai, and the town is also known as a producer of soy sauce and kanro shoyu, drawing visitors as a Seto Inland Sea town rich in history and culture.

The White-Walled Townscape and Yanai's History

Yanai developed as a port town on the Seto Inland Sea from the Muromachi period, and in the Edo period it flourished commercially as the "onando" (storehouse) of the Iwakuni domain. In the Furuichi-Kanaya district of Yanai City, imposing merchant houses with white plaster walls and latticed doors stand in a row, and the area is designated as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. The buildings that convey the lifestyle of the wealthy merchants of the time still speak of that former prosperity.

Goldfish Lanterns and Soy Sauce Culture

Yanai's specialty, the "kingyo chochin," is a folk toy said to have been born at the end of the Edo period, inspired by the Nebuta of Aomori. Made from thin bamboo strips and washi paper, the plump, round red goldfish figure is charming, and in summer the lanterns are hung throughout the town to create a cool, refreshing scene.

Yanai has also long been a soy sauce producing area, and its specialty is the distinctive "kanro shoyu," made by brewing the moromi mash twice. Along the white-walled streets there are old soy sauce breweries as well as museums housed in converted merchant houses.

The Origin of the Goldfish Lantern and the Story of Its Revival

According to Yanai City, the goldfish lantern is said to have been first made about 150 years ago, around the end of the Edo period, by a Yanai merchant for the town's children. It is said to have begun when the goldfish-shaped lanterns were colored using the dyes of "Yanai-jima," Yanai's traditional woven textile, and at summer festivals children would carry lit goldfish lanterns out into the town. The man who devised them was Kumagai Rinzaburo, who ran a candle shop, and he is said to have taken his hint from the "kingyo neputa" of Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture.

Afterwards Rinzaburo's son Sadaji continued making them while running a signboard shop, and Nagawa Sadaji, who learned the technique from Sadaji, carried on the craft until around the time of the Second World War. After the war, however, production ceased for a time. The light was rekindled in 1962 (Showa 37), when Mr. Kamiryo Yoshihiro inherited the skills and revived the craft; together with unique techniques added after the war, the lanterns have been handed down in their present form. A folk toy that once nearly disappeared has now become a symbol representing Yanai.

Highlights of the Festival Night

The greatest highlight of the Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival is the giant "kingyo nebuta" that parades through the venue. Rows of goldfish lantern dancers add color around the great goldfish as it sways along, and the Shirakabe Edo Festival is held at the same time. In addition, the "Hirosaki Neputa" comes to Yanai from Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture — the root of the tradition — and is paraded, creating a scene unique to this festival in which Tsugaru and the Seto Inland Sea are connected through goldfish.

On the day of the festival, about 2,500 goldfish lanterns throughout the town are lit, and the white-walled streetscape is wrapped in soft red light. The lanterns are not lit only on the festival day, however. According to Yanai City, they are illuminated every night from mid-July through the end of August, from 19:00 to 22:00, so anyone who wants to view them at leisure while avoiding the festival-day crowds has the option of visiting on a night during this period.

Places to Stop By in the White-Walled Townscape

The white-walled townscape that serves as the festival stage is the "Yanai City Furuichi-Kanaya Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings," designated by the nation in 1984 (Showa 59). According to Yanai City's explanation, the medieval town layout is still alive here, and the rows of Edo-period merchant houses continue along both sides of a street of about 200 meters. During the domain era it served as the storehouse district of the Iwakuni domain, and the street bustled with large handcarts loaded with goods.

Along this street are gathered facilities open to visitors, including the Kunimori Family Residence, the merchant house museum "Muroya no Sono," the Kanro Shoyu Museum, "Yanai Nishigura," Shirakabe Gakuyukan, and the Townscape Museum. At Yanai Nishigura in particular you can try making a goldfish lantern yourself and take the finished piece home as a souvenir. Combining a stroll through the town with a hands-on workshop lets you savor the world of the goldfish lantern all the more deeply.

Tips for Visiting

The best moment to photograph the goldfish lanterns is just after sunset, when the lanterns are lit and a little blue still remains in the sky. The contrast between the red of the lanterns and the indigo sky stands out, and the white walls catch the light softly. Because there are large crowds on the festival day, be considerate: do not block passageways with a tripod, and choose your spot carefully when standing still. The white-walled townscape is a town where people still live and do business, so please do not enter the grounds of homes or merchant houses without permission. If you visit on a quiet weekday afternoon, you can take your time appreciating the details of the lattice doors and plaster walls.

Best Season and Access

At the "Goldfish Lantern Festival" held in August, thousands of goldfish lanterns color the town in a fantastical scene. Strolling the white-walled town can be enjoyed through all four seasons.

For access, it is about a 10-minute walk from JR Sanyo Main Line Yanai Station to the white-walled townscape. It can also be reached by train from the Hiroshima direction. There are also shops in the townscape where you can try painting your own goldfish lantern, and being able to make and take home a one-of-a-kind lantern makes for a fun memory unique to sightseeing in Yanai.

Practical Information

Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival (2026)

• Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026 (Reiwa 8) (35th edition)
• Time: 16:00-21:00 according to the announcement by Yanai City
• Venue: The area from in front of JR Yanai Station to the white-walled townscape (Chuo to Yanaizu, Yanai City) and the Reitoro-dori area
• Highlights: The greatest highlight is the "kingyo nebuta" that parades through the venue. In addition to the goldfish lantern dance and the Shirakabe Edo Festival, the "Hirosaki Neputa" comes from Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture and is paraded
• Nearest station: 1 minute on foot from JR Yanai Station. By car, about 20 minutes from Kuga IC on the Sanyo Expressway
• In case of rain: Some events will be cancelled in the event of rain
• Goldfish lantern decorations: The lanterns are lit in the town not only on the festival day but also from mid-July to the end of August, 19:00-22:00. On the festival day about 2,500 lanterns are lit

Yanai Nishigura (Goldfish Lantern Making Workshop)

• Goldfish lantern making: Medium size 1,000 yen / small size 900 yen (revised April 1, 2025), about 30 minutes, reception 9:00-16:00
• Other workshops: Yanai-jima weaving 500 yen, about 30 minutes, 13:00-16:00 / dyeing from 500 yen, about 1 hour, 13:00-16:00
• Reservations: Advance reservation is required for groups of 10 or more
• Admission: Free (gallery and rest area on site)
• Contact: 0820-23-2490

*Parking, shuttle buses and traffic restrictions for the festival, and the status of food stalls, have not been officially announced. The starting time is also given variously as 16:00 or 16:30 depending on the source, so please check the official Yanai City website before visiting.*

📚 Sources

• Yanai City official website
• Yamaguchi Prefecture official tourism website "Oidemase Yamaguchi\"