Photo= Visitors enjoy a summer night while gazing at the Milky Way, made using sparkling blue LEDs (August 3, near Horikawa-dori Shimotachiuri, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto)

In conjunction with the Star Festival according to the lunar calendar, a summer illumination event, "Kyo no Tanabata," or Kyoto's star festival, started on August 3 at two venues along the Hori and Kamo Rivers. Feeling the cool air of the murmuring streams, visitors enjoyed the illumination of the Milky Way and other events.

The event was organized by an executive committee consisting of Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, and the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The theme of this year's event is "Hopes" and bamboo branches decorated with colored strips of paper were set up.

At the Hori River event site from Oike-dori Street to Imadegawa-dori Street, there were illumination events including "Hikari no Ama-no-Gawa," or Milky Way of light, where bamboo arches were adorned with a total of 110,000 LEDs, and "Hikari no Yuzen-nagashi," or lit up "Kyo-Yuzen" flowing in the water, where the designs of "Kyo-Yuzen" kimonos floating in the Hori River were illuminated by lights. At the Kamo River event site from Shijo Ohashi to Oike Ohashi, objets d'art, like lights or wind chimes in bamboo baskets, were arranged.

The event will continue until August 12. A new event called "Projection Mapping," or visual images projected on the river bank protection, has been held since August 5 at the Kamo River event site.