Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture “SENDAI Pageant of Starlight” Video Introduction

This video, titled "SENDAI Pageant of Starlight Introductory Video" (SENDAI光のページェント紹介動画), was uploaded by "SENDAI Pageant of Starlight" (SENDAI光のページェント).

This video, released in 2020, introduces the SENDAI Pageant of Starlight and Starlight Fantasy: The Story of Santa's Forest held in Sendai, Miyagi, in Japan's Tohoku region.

SENDAI Pageant of Starlight is a winter festival held at the main venue on Jozenji Street (定禅寺通, Jozen-ji Dori) in Sendai. It features fantastic, gentle illuminations and the smiling faces the festival's participants. The subtitles explain the festival and introduce the city of Sendai, the largest city in Japan's Tohoku region. There is also an English version, so be sure to check it out as well.
※The English version can be found in the video description.
[Video] 0:10 - Explanation About SENDAI Pageant of Starlight

SENDAI Pageant of Starlight – The History and Meaning of the Winter Festival

Photo：SENDAI Pageant of Starlight, Sendai, Miyagi

Here we'll introduce the SENDAI Pageant of Starlight, which has become a winter tradition in Sendai, Miyagi, the largest city in Japan's Tohoku region.

The SENDAI Pageant of Starlight began in 1986, when citizens of Sendai volunteered to decorate the trees lining Jozen-ji Street and Aoba Street (青葉通, Aoba Dori) with lights in the hope of making the City of Trees the "City of Light." At the time, approximately 300,000 lights were used to illuminate 44 zelkova trees on Jozenji Street and 114 zelkovas on Aoba Street.

The festival organizers opted to use the English word "pageant." However, the word "pageant" does not have the meaning of "illumination." Thus, the event was named "Pageant of Starlight" as opposed to "Illumination of Starlight" because it was named with the hope of bringing smiles to the faces of children who have been moved by the sight of something so beautiful.

SENDAI Pageant of Starlight, which will be held for its 37th year in 2022, is supported by citizen donations and corporate sponsorships. In addition to donation boxes placed throughout the city, volunteers collect donations on the streets, and crowdfunding has helped this winter festival continue for more than 30 years.

SENDAI Pageant of Starlight 2022 – Festival Dates, Venue Information, and Lighting Hours

Photo：Jozen-ji Street during SENDAI Pageant of Starlight

The 2022 SENDAI Pageant of Starlight will feature 125 zelkovas lit up along Jozen-ji Street in the center of Sendai with approximately 470,000 LED lights!
Below is a brief description of where the festival will take place and what time the lights will start at.

【Event Period】For 17 days, from Friday, December 9 to Sunday, December 25
【Event Location】Jozenji Street in Sendai, Miyagi (from Sendai Mitsukoshi to Jozenji Garden Hills Wedding Hall)
【Lighting Hours】Monday - Friday: 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. / Saturday and Sunday: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

The theme for the 2022 festival is "Look up, Keep SMILE!"
The SENDAI Pageant of Starlight is held with the hopes that everyone who comes to SENDAI Pageant of Starlight and looks up at the warm lights spreading across the night sky will be able to smile. We hope for the same!

Don't miss the Starlight Wink event, in which all the lights are turned off and then simultaneously turned on again!

The Main Attraction at SENDAI Pageant of Starlight – The Story of Santa's Forest

Source :YouTube screenshot

Starlight Fantasy "The Story of Santa's Forest," is the most popular attraction of the SENDAI Pageant of Starlight. Citizens and marching bands dressed up as Santa Claus and his reindeer parade down the illuminated Jozen-ji Street to the sound of music. Many spectators come to enjoy the winter night in Sendai. Unfortunately, the event is canceled in 2022 due to the global pandemic.
[Video] 1:21 - Starlight Fantasy: The Story of Santa's Forest

Summary of SENDAI Pageant of Starlight

The Sendai Pageant of Starlight, a winter tradition in Sendai, Miyagi, will be held in conjunction with the SENDAI Pageant of Starlight at Kotodai Park on the east side of Jozen-ji Street.

Although the 2022 event will be held on a reduced scale, a large number of visitors are still expected to participate in the festival. Please enjoy the warmth of the winter illumination event in Sendai, which is filled with the wishes of the people. In order to ensure that everyone has a good time, it is important to be mindful of others and take precautions to avoid spreading infectious diseases.

◆SENDAI Pageant of Starlight◆
【Access】
・Car
Drive towards the Prefectural Government Office and City Hall via Nishi Road from the Sendai-Miyagi IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
・Public Transportation
From JR Sendai Station's West Exit, take the Namboku Subway Line toward Izumi-Chuo Station, get off at [Kotodai Koen Station], and walk for 1 minute.