I received an e-mail message attached with pictures of the Kobe Luminaries from Mr. Ichiro Kitano, a classmate, who lives in Kobe. Although I introduced the Illumination at Marunouchi Naka Street yesterday, I was astonished to find out that the Kobe Luminaries was much more extravagant compared with Tokyo.

Mr. Kitano wrote:

”The Luminaries at Kobe is held every year during two weeks before Christmas. It is the fifth anniversary this year. It started in 1995 praying for the souls of about six thousand departed people at the Great Han shin Earthquake and also for quick reconstruction of the city. People walk slowly through the illuminated corridor "Garelia"taking one hour. Its width is 30 meters, length 500 meters. When you go out the corridor, you will see an illuminated wall tapestry "Spatzriera" which looks like an European castle wall. Its height is 18 meters, its width of two wings is a hundred meters. Impressed by fantasy of illumination, people raise cheers. The illumination festival which attracted a million people will end on December 26th and the new millennium of 2000s will come soon."

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