The tinkling of some 3,000 glass wind bells in a small mountain town in Aichi Prefecture is not just a sign of summer but a sound of hope for community revitalization.
Beginning Sunday, the Odo district of the town of Asahi, a scenic, riverside community with a population of 370, will hold a summer festival whose main feature will be colorfully painted glass chimes.
During the first-ever event, which runs through Sept. 7, homes, stores and various monuments throughout the area will be adorned with the chimes, including a "furin" (wind-bell) dome, according to local residents.