On Memorial Day, May 28, 2012, more than 40,000
residents and visitors from various cultures and traditions are expected to participate in the
13th Annual Lantern Floating Hawaii. Three thousand candle-lit lanterns will be cast afloat
from Magic Island in remembrance of loved ones who have passed, or as symbolic prayer for
a harmonious and peaceful future. The ceremony will also recognize those who have passed
due to various causes afflicting humanity throughout the world. The theme of Lantern
Floating Hawaii is “Many Rivers, One Ocean.”

The 90-minute ceremony and program will commence at 6:30 p.m. with special performances
by Shinnyo Taiko, HAPA, the Ai Family, Halau Hula O Kamuela, and Shinnyo-en Shomyo
Choir. Also included throughout the program are videos that explain the lantern floating
tradition in Japan and offer personal reflections of the experience. At 7 p.m., Her Holiness
Keishu Shinso Ito, Head of Shinnyo-en, will address the crowd with a speech, followed by
the lighting of the Light of Harmony. After the lighting of the Light of Harmony, the lanterns
will be launched onto the waters of Magic Island by participants of the program and the
general public. At the conclusion of the ceremony, as in past years, all lanterns are collected
from the ocean and recycled for use in the upcoming years.