Photo= Visitors enjoy illuminated maple leaves in the gentle rain (5:15 p.m., November 11, Hiyoshi-taisha Shrine, Sakamoto 5-chome, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture)

The annual autumnal light-up has begun at Hiyoshi-taisha Shrine, Saikyo-ji Temple, and others in the Sakamoto district of Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. Maple leaves that have just started turning red are illuminated. Visitors enjoy the view emerging from the darkness of the night.

The event takes place every year at this time and is sponsored by "Light-up Otsu Suishin Kyogi-kai," an association consisting of temples, shrines and tourist associations in the city. This year, a total of 225 lanterns have been placed at locations including Saikyo-ji Temple and Shiga-in Monseki, as well as along the street from Keihan Sakamoto Station to Hiyoshi-taisha Shrine and within its precincts. Sixty of the lanterns are decorated with "Otsu-e," or traditional paintings of Otsu, and other designs.

While many of the maple leaves in the precincts of Hiyoshi-taisha Shrine are still green, red leaves here and there are vibrantly illuminated. In the gentle rain, visitors gazed up at the maple leaves, saying things such as, "It seems so mysterious, like a scene straight out of a movie," and "I like this atmosphere that's so different from the daytime."

The light-up will continue until December 1. It is illuminated every day from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Entrance to Hiyoshi-taisha Shrine is free during the illumination. The association will also hold an illumination event at Ishiyama-dera Temple from November 16 to 24.