The 6th Annual Lantern Floating
Ceremony is held at Magic Island

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FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM More than 1,000 lighted candles were sent out to sea yesterday evening during the 6th Annual Lantern Floating Ceremony presented by Shinnyo-en Hawaii. The lantern boats were carried to a double-hulled canoe for their launching on Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park. Traditionally referred to as the Toro Nagashi, the first lantern-floating ceremony was held in 1952 in Japan to offer spiritual consolation for those who died in water. In May 1999, the first such ceremony in Hawaii was held in Keehi Lagoon.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Thousands of people crowded Magic Island and Ala Moana Beach to watch the Buddhist ceremony.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM People waited to launch the lanterns from the shoreline. The lanterns carry prayers for the victims of wars, water-related disasters and other calamities.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Many people came from Japan for the ceremony. Suyako Endo and Eriko Kawashima are visitors from Osaka, Japan. The event in Honolulu drew a crowd of several thousand last year and is filmed for broadcast in Japan.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Shinso Ito, head of Shinnyo-en, chanted during the program. She presided over the ceremonies.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM The shoreline at Ala Moana Beach Park was aglow at dusk as the lanterns were launched.

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