NISHIO, Aichi Prefecture--The hugely colorful Mikawa Isshiki Giant Lantern Festival, which is thought to date back to more than 450 years ago, kicked off here Aug. 24 at Suwajinja shrine.

The lantern festival at Manpukuji temple also commemorates the 350th anniversary of the death of its founder, Yin Yuan (1592-1673), as he is called in Chinese. Japanese know him as Ingen.