The Great Hanshin earthquake killed over 6,400 people in January 1995. In December of that year, Italian light sculptures — wooden arches and galleries carrying tens of thousands of bulbs — were raised in central Kobe as a memorial and a sign that the city had power again. They have been raised every year since.
No attendance figure is collected in this pass.
The dates have moved. Luminarie ran in early December for most of its existence; recent editions have been held in late January, around the anniversary of the earthquake itself, with a changed layout across several sites. Listings carrying December — including the partner calendar's — are out of date.
The event is funded partly by donations collected on site, and has been close to cancellation several times for lack of them.
PlanningMOVED. Held in December for most of its history, it now runs in late January around the earthquake anniversary.
Dates
Season
Computed from the recurrence rule we record for this entry, not copied from a listing. A date marked ~ comes from a calendar conversion and the observance may fall a day or two either side.