Fans of celebrated animation giant Studio Ghibli can find all sorts of sights and sounds that seem as if they were a real life depiction of scenes from Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, such as Yamagata prefecture's famous Ginzan onsen hot spring town, or a famous No-Face cosplayer who has some adorably clumsy habits. It's the annual Nagasaki Lantern Festival, however, that may feel like traveling through the film the most.

Featuring over 15,000 radiant paper lanterns, the Nagasaki Lantern Festival started as a celebration of the Chinese New Year in Nagasaki’s Shinichi Chinatown, before expanding in 1994 to become a region-wide festival. From January 28th to February 11th, attendees can enjoy parades, dragon dances, and theatrical performances as they bask in the glow of lanterns that turn nighttime strolls into an exploration of otherworldly charm. A recent video posted by @hitsuji_eat of a train ride through the Lantern Festival (from Nigiwaibashi to Nishi-hamanomachi) now shows that riding through the sea of glowing lanterns on a quiet night is not unlike passing through the dream-like world of Spirited Away.

@hitsuji_eat's passenger's view of the event is garnering comparisons to Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away, as well as Japan's nostalgic Showa Era. While breathtaking lantern festivals in Japan are nothing new, something about the port-city atmosphere in Nagasaki, often praised as romantic and reminiscent of a time of exploration, is reminding social media users just how spectacular the Nagasaki Lantern Festival can be, with many sharing gorgeous pictures.

The currently ongoing festival runs through February 19th.


By - Big Neko.