Conan is so popular: Japan's Tottori Prefecture joins the Taichung Lantern Festival

▲Tottori Prefecture brings “Conan” to the Taichung Lantern Festival. (Photo / Provided by Tottori Prefecture)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Comprehensive report

Japan’s Tottori Airport recently announced its official renaming to “Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport”, and this wave of “Conan fever” has now spread to Taiwan’s Lantern Festival. This year, Tottori Prefecture participated in the “2015 Taiwan Lantern Festival” in Taichung for the first time, featuring a 2.4-meter-tall Conan-themed lantern display in the “Sister City Lantern Area.” The famous “Yonago Giant Lanterns” will also appear on the main stage.

The performance — “Yonago Giant Lanterns” — on the main stage in the Wurih High-Speed Rail Lantern Area will take place at 7:30 p.m. on March 5 and 8:00 p.m. on March 6. The Yonago Giant Lanterns originate from the “Yonago Giant Festival” held every summer in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture. Local companies and government agencies carry on the tradition by hanging 46 lanterns on bamboo frames to form the shape of the character “Mi” (rice), which is part of the city’s name “Yonago.” Each lantern weighs between 25 and 45 kilograms.Participants of all ages take turns performing various challenging lantern-carrying techniques, such as holding them with one hand, on their heads, or on their shoulders.

※ Mini activities for visitors: Take a photo with Conan to receive a Conan folder (three sessions per day, 50 per session), answer a question correctly in the Q&A session to get a Conan bandana (two sessions per day, 10 per session), and follow the “Toripy Takes You to Tottori” fan page to receive a Conan souvenir (first 200 on weekdays, first 300 on holidays).