The Paper Balloon Festival of Kamihinokinai is a very fantastical annual event where paper balloons float up into the dark night sky one after another. Large paper balloons are as long as 8 meters. About 100 paper balloons are launched every year. Just like hot-air balloons, the paper balloons float up from the heated air inside.
Paper balloons include the design of samurai or beautiful women often seen in traditional wood-block prints drawn on the surface, but some of them have the wishes of people written on them. This is because the purpose of this event is to make a wish. Many wishes were related to a good harvest and good health before, but nowadays people wish for road safety and success in exams as well. Wishes of people fly up into the starry sky, swaying in the wind on paper balloons.