A charity candle-lighting event has been held here every evening since Dec. 24 to help neighboring areas hit by the October series of powerful earthquakes.
Tourists are encouraged to buy candles for 100 yen each and place them in enclaves carved out of a snow wall. The Yuzawa Chamber of Commerce, which has set up nine such spots in the town, plans to donate part of the money to quake-hit regions.
More than 1.3 million yen have been collected so far. The event runs through April 2.
The event is also aimed at boosting tourism in Yuzawa, a ski resort area that did not sustain much damage from the quakes but is suffering from a plunge in skiers.
