 Last additions - Takao-san Dai-hiwatari Festival 高尾山 大火渡り祭 |
Costume gals. Even these girls walked on the fire.
Mar 16, 2005
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Back at the Yakuoin temple which belongs to the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. 薬王院Mar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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Priests parade back to temple.Mar 16, 2005
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Yamabushi--mountain ascetic priests. They carried a conch-shell-like instrument.Mar 16, 2005
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End of the walk. Again we dip our feet in salt. We all ended up with muddy feet. There was no place to wash our feet either. Bringing wet tissues is highly recommended if you plan to walk on the fire.Mar 16, 2005
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This is what it looked like by the time we got there. Hardly any fire. It was somewhat wet, and it did not feel hot or warm at all. Pretty disappointing...This is what it looked like by the time we got there. Hardly any fire. It was somewhat wet, and it did not feel hot or warm at all. Pretty disappointing...Mar 16, 2005
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Then we stick our feet in salt.Mar 16, 2005
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First we pass through a gauntlet of chanters.Mar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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Everyone crosses barefoot, so we took off our shoes as we approached the fire crossing.Mar 16, 2005
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End of the line. It reads, "Saikobi."Mar 16, 2005
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After the priests, the general public is invited to stand in line and cross the fire for free.Mar 16, 2005
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Long line: It took us over 30 minutes to reach the fire.Mar 16, 2005
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I always wondered how hot it was to walk on the fire, so this time I decided to walk over the fire just to see how much heat my feet could bear. Also see the video at YouTube.Mar 16, 2005
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After crossing the fire, each person is blessed by the head priest with a tap on the shoulder by a baton.Mar 16, 2005
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Hiwatari fire-crossing festival, Mt. Takao, TokyoMar 16, 2005
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Walking on fireMar 16, 2005
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Before and after walking over the fire, they stick their feet into a pile of salt.Mar 16, 2005
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First the priests walked on the fire.Mar 16, 2005
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Blessing the pathMar 16, 2005
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This priest splashed the boiling contents of this pot over himself.Mar 16, 2005
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Head priestMar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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Raking the fireMar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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Raking the fire. They are making the footpath for fire walkers.Mar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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She was tossing out these paper things to the crowd.Mar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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The pile catches fire very easily due to the kerosene. Even at this distance, it gets very hot. Also see the video at YouTube.Mar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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Dai-hiwatari Festival, Mt. Takao, TokyoMar 16, 2005
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Mar 16, 2005
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The pile is first ignited from two sides.Mar 16, 2005
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This long torch will be used to ignite the pile.Mar 16, 2005
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He shoots an arrow into the pile from the four corners.Mar 16, 2005
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Divine arrow to ward off any life-threatening devils. The festival is executed by the mountain ascetic priests called yamabushi.
Mar 16, 2005
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Various ceremonies, rituals, and chanting takes place during one hour from 1 pm. Divine ax used to cut away earthly desires.Mar 16, 2005
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The name of the festival is "Hiwatari," literally meaning fire crossing. They make a big fire, then allow people to walk over the embers. This is the centerpiece of the festival, a pile of cypress tree branches to be burned.Mar 16, 2005
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This festival is held on the second Sunday every March at the foot of Mt. Takao. It takes less than an hour from Shinjuku via the Keio Line. Train fare is only 370 yen. The pile of tree branches is supported by a wooden framework. A priest pours kerosene.Mar 16, 2005
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The festival site is a short walk from Takao-san-guchi Station. It's held in this large lot cordoned off by a sacred rope. This festival is held as a prayer for traffic safety, household safety, and personal safety. It is held by the Yakuoin Yukiji Te
Mar 16, 2005
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