The Itako team was in charge of the lighting effects of the lanterns on Aug. 13th and 14th at the Buddhist Lantern Festival at Choonji Temple (Itako-shi, Hinode) held from Aug. 13th to 16th. With help from the students at Itako City Hinode Junior High School, where the Itako team had conducted workshops, about 10,000 lanterns were set up. The lanterns represented the stars in the sky and the lighting was designed to portray the Milky Way, which was symbolic of the unlimited possibilities of the children who would be the main players of the region’s future. A message board was also installed on the grounds so that visitors to the shrine could write in any messages they wished. Many people left messages about the good things in Itako and about their memories of the Lantern Festival. Damages from the liquefaction phenomenon due to the earthquake are still quite apparent in the Choonji, Hinode Elementary and Junior High School areas, but we heard that proper restoration works are finally starting to happen. The students will carry out a questionnaire survey of the visitors and assess the changing needs of the area and try to incorporate the findings in their future activities. (Iida)