Lighting Memorial Lanterns for Remembrance and Disaster Legacy -Initiatives with Electronic Lanterns-
On March 11, 2026, as dusk settled, 1,200 electronic lanterns decorated with artwork were illuminated at the Earthquake Memorial Park in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture. Each lantern featured messages and artwork collected from across Japan, gently lighting the area around the memorial monument.
Natori City suffered extensive damage from the tsunami during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The Yuriage district, located along the coast, was almost entirely engulfed by the tsunami about an hour after the earthquake struck. The lantern-floating ceremony, in which lanterns are traditionally set afloat on rivers and the sea, had been a cultural tradition handed down for generations in the Yuriage district. However, following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the event could no longer be held. As part of the Natori Reconstruction Project, the tradition has since been carried on through the setup of lanterns decorated with artwork.
As a company with a local base in the area, the Panasonic Group has supported this memorial event since 2014. Initially, the lanterns were made of paper and lit with candles, but they faced challenges like extinguishing in the rain and being blown away by the wind. Responding to these issues, the factory manager in Sendai led the development and manufacturing of electronic lanterns that are weather-resistant and automatically light up in candle-like colors at dusk, with support from inside and outside the company. A total of 2,500 lanterns were donated to the Natori Reconstruction Project. Since then, the Panasonic Group has continued to participate as one of the organizers of this event.
Preparations for the memorial event include the storage and maintenance of the electronic lanterns, collecting and sorting message sheets, incorporating messages received from across Japan, and setting up and removing the lanterns on the day of the event. As in previous years, with cooperation from groups such as the Retirees Association and Panasonic Group labor unions, 30 organizations created about 2,800 message sheets. In addition, across 13 locations nationwide of the Panasonic Connect Labor Union, a total of 4,800 message sheets--including drawings contributed by members of the general public--were inserted into 1,200 illustrated lanterns.
On the day of the event, 17 volunteers from the Panasonic Group participated, assisting with setup. They also visited the Disaster Recovery Memorial Museum and earthquake ruins, deepening their understanding of the importance of learning from the memories of the disaster and passing them on to future generations.
①Loading the lanterns onto trucks ➁Setting up electronic lanterns in the park ③Group photo of volunteer members who participated on the day ④Removing electronic lanterns
