Horizon Power Floating Lantern ceremony offers Broome community a space for grief

Amid a reverent crowd of hundreds, the rhythmic beat of the Taiko drummers was the only sound as Consul General Yasushi Naito lowered his lantern into the Gantheum Point ocean. While many Shinju Matsuri events are vibrant celebrations, Sunday’s Horizon Power Floating Lantern ceremony offered people a solemn moment to honour loved ones who have passed away. The ceremony is inspired by Japan’s annual festival of Toro Nagashi. Established a year after the end of World War Two in 1946, each August Toro Nagashi takes place when thousands of candle lit lanterns are floated down rivers across the country to pay tribute to the deceased. In Japanese culture the release of paper lanterns into the water powerfully symbolises the way spirits journey into the afterlife. Though hundreds gathered at Gantheum Point Beach on Sunday, the spirit of thousands was felt, with Broome residents decorating their lanterns with the names and emblematic images of loved ones who have passed. Director of Shinju Matsuri Saira Hanlon said the “unified solemnity was palpable when everyone walked down to the sea together to place their lanterns.” The school of Lanterns swayed easterly as festival goers watched from the shore, and children tried to out run the current on the sand. The event reflected how Broome’s rich Japanese history strengthens and binds its current multi-cultural population.