The story
Sendai Pageant of Starlight in Sendai
Sendai Pageant of Starlight began in 1986 as a citizen-volunteer initiative to give the city a significant winter event, wrapping the zelkova trees along Jozenji-dori and Aoba-dori in lights. Now using roughly 600,000 lights and running from early December through New Year's Eve, it has grown to include concerts, a Christmas market, and stage performances along Sendai's illuminated streets.
The Sendai Pageant of Starlight began in 1986, initiated by a committee of citizen volunteers who set out to address what they saw as a notable gap in the city's calendar: unlike many Japanese cities, Sendai lacked a significant winter event capable of drawing residents outdoors and lifting spirits during the coldest, darkest months of the year.