Photo= Participants closely arrange tea-flavored sweet dumplings one by one with no gaps between them (Asagiribashi Bridge, Uji, Uji City, Kyoto)

A preceding event for the project called "Let's connect World Heritage sites with dumplings," to be designated as a world record by the Guinness Book, took place at the Asagiri-bashi Bridge in Uji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, on December 6. Local residents and tourists formed 3,258 "Cha-dango," or tea-flavored sweet dumplings, a famous confection of Uji, in a 72.1-meter line, as preparation for the actual event scheduled to be held next March 6.

The event started on that day with calls of "Let's link everyone's hearts together." In the same way as planned for the actual day, participants closely arranged tea-flavored sweet dumplings roughly two-centimeters in diameter on an approximately 80-centimeter high table at the bridge across the Uji River.

According to the organizing committee, which consists of merchants and craftsmen, there were approximately 230 participants. One from Hirono-cho, Uji City, said, "I took part in the event to prepare for the actual day when we challenge the Guinness Book. I struggled with arranging the dumplings because they stuck to my gloves."

In next spring's event, approximately 35,000 tea-flavored sweet dumplings will be arranged along the roughly 660-meter-long distance between Ujigami Shrine and Byodo-in Temple. The committee is raising funds by dividing it into 500 units; one unit is a one-meter section for a participation fee of 3,000yen.