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Held annually on May 4, the Misaki Shrine Fire Festival (hi-matsuri) has local people carry 2-meter long torches from their homes to the shrie where a 5-meter tall pile of bamboo is lit to make a towering inferno.A taiko drum is also carried and beaten.
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On the Sunday before the second Monday of Jan., 33 hectares of a hill called Wakakusa-yama (seen in the distance here) next to Nara Park is burned at night.The burning hill looks more spectacular from afar, but we went up close.
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Held for two evenings on Aug. 14-15 during the obon season, people light their torches at Gosha Shrine and proceed to Hibarino park where the torches are thrown up to a large pine tree. The more torches get stuck on the tree, the better the next harvest.This is Hibarino park. The pine tree on the right of the small hill is the target for the torches. This park also serves as the Otabisho during the Hino Festival.
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Festival's focal pointThis grass hut is at the center of the festival site which is within the Sakitama Tumuli Park. It will be burned later in the evening for the festival's climax.
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Procession of local residents carrying torches to the shrine. Map
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Wakakusa-yama hill in JanuaryWakakusa-yama hill actually has three hills. We see only the first one here.
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Entrance to Gosha Shrine. 五社神社
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Offerings
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Dry grass ready to burn...
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Gosha Shrine torii
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Festival siteIt is a circular site with people sitting along the perimeter.
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The torch procession rings out.
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Volunteer firemenThe hill set alight by 300 volunteer firemen and prefectural workers who climb up the hill.
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SpectatorsThese people are sitting in the best area to view the festival.
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Towering inferno of bamboo on fire. The shrine has a 5-meter tall pile of bamboo which is lit to make a towering inferno within the shrine grounds. Very dramatic.
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Bamboo torches and bamboo broomsThe bamboo torches is filled with kerosene and plugged with cotton cloth. They are used to set the hill afire. The bamboo brooms are used to spread the fire or extinguish it. The brooms burn up by the end of the festival.
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EntertainmentAn outdoor stage provides a variety of entertainment during the day.
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Misaki Shrine Fire Festival in Aisho. The shrine has a 5-meter tall pile of bamboo which is lit to make a towering inferno within the shrine grounds. Very dramatic. Also see the video at YouTube.
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Bamboo torches and bamboo broomsThe bamboo torches is filled with kerosene and plugged with cotton cloth. They are used to set the hill afire. The bamboo brooms are used to spread the fire or extinguish it. The brooms burn up by the end of the festival.
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Pile of straw to be lit. The fire is used to light all the torches.
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Festival participantsThey are dressed in the costume of the ancient Kofun (Tumuli) Period of Japan. They will be carrying torches from the nearby tumuli.
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Bamboo torchesThe bamboo torches is filled with kerosene and plugged with cotton cloth. They are used to set the hill afire.
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White and red torii
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TumulusCherry trees are at the top.
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The deer have no idea what danger they are in...
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Torches
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Shinto ceremonyAt around 6:30 pm, the festival climax starts.
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Torii at Misaki Shrine Fire Festival.
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Water bagsThe third item the volunteer firemen carry are water bags. The water bag is filled with water weighing 20 kg or so. A nozzle is also attached. It is used to extinguish the fire.
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After it gets dark, the pile of straw is lit and people come to light their torches.
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Torch bearers enter
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Sumiyoshi Shrine is on the west side of JR Moriyama Station. This side has an area called "Fuke" written with the same kanji for "uwaki" (cheating on your partner).I wonder what married couples think of living in this area...
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Bon fire site
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Lighting torches.
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Marvelous spectacle
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Sumiyoshi Shrine torii. Notice the torches inside the shrine. 住吉神社 MAPEvery Jan., both this shrine and Katsube Shrine light giant torches for the festival's climax. Unfortunately, you cannot see the festival at both shrines since they are held around the same time. Sumiyoshi Shrine's fire festival is smaller with fewer (six) torches which represent the head of the slain dragon.
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Deer on the hill
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The torch procession goes from Gosha Shrine to Hibarino park.
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Parade aroundThe torch bearers parade around the entire perimeter before they gather around the hut.
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Sumiyoshi Shrine and the six giant torches.
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Taiko drum beating
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Volunteer firement gather before going up the hill.The hill set alight by 300 volunteer firemen from all over Nara and prefectural workers who climb up the hill.
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Sumiyoshi Shrine and the six giant torches.
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Volunteeer firemen and staff hike up the hills.
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During the procession, children use sticks to hit the torch flame. They had great fun.
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Male prince
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Side view of torches.
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Fire finally dies down.
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Sacred torch arrives at the foot of the hill.The sacred torch is lit at Kasuga Taisha Shrine and brought to Nogami Shrine in a torch procession. It is a small shrine at the foot of the hill.
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Female princess reigning over the Sakitama Fire Festival in Gyoda, SaitamaShe's 15 years old.
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Head of torch. Different shape from Katsube Shrine's torches.
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Ceremony at Nogami Shrine
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Torch stem
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Lantern
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The crowd
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Hino Hifuri Festival, Shiga.
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Torch lightingThe prince and princess light the torch that will ignite the hut.
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Straw-covered torches.
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After the bon fire, the taiko drum procession leaves the shrine and parades around the village.
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Fireworks
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Hibarino park. Map
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Climax
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Torches are bunched together.
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The sacred torch is brought.
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This man holds multiple torches.
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Throwing a torch up the pine tree. Very few people succeeded in landing the torch on the tree (which doesn't burn down).
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Torch bearers from the tumulus
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Stage ceremonyThe torch bearers gathered in front of the stage where there were speeches and cheers.
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The sacred torch lights the bonfire at around 6 pm.You can also see three lanterns for Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and Kofukuji Temple. This is a joint festival between these three temples and shrine.
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FireworksThe festival ended at 7:30 pm.
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Back of the torch heads.
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Other torches are thrown in.
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Sumiyoshi Shrine
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Bon fire burns
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Men in loincloths beat the wall in a building, then came out with small torches.
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First man lights the giant torches. This was around 7:45 pm.
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The hill behind also starts to burn.
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More men light the torches. The straw ignited almosty immediateely and no kerosene was used.
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The torches burn within seconds.
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Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival
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Burn baby burn...The fire is put out by 9 pm. Unless you're near the fire, it can get very cold, so dress warmly for this festival.
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The fire at its peak was very hot to the skin. Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival, Moriyama, Shiga in late Jan.
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The torches burnt out within a few minutes.
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Before the torches burnt out completely, the men hauled away each torch one by one.
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Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival, Moriyama, Shiga Pref. on the second Sat. of January.
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Taming the firre.
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Great way to warm up.
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The festival ended quickly. A lot faster than the Katsube Shrine's Fire Festival held at the same time.
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Fire hydrant and hose just in case.
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Fire truck and burnt torch.
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Needless to say, the subway/trains stations were jammed with people by 5 pm. This is when I got off the train at Shinozaki Station on the Toei Shinjuku subway line on Aug.1, 2009.
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Still in Shinozaki Station heading for the exit. Koiwa Station on the JR Sobu Line must also have been crowded.
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Now walking to the Edogawa riverbank.
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Getting to the steps up the riverbank.
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After getting to the top of the riverbank, this is the spectacle I came to see and photograph.
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Some 900,000 of humanity gathered here for the Edogawa-ku Fireworks in Aug.
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And you think your largest soccer stadium can hold a lotta people. Come see here.
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It was a lot more crowded than the last time I saw these fireworks years ago.
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The Edogawa Ward Fireworks display is one of Tokyo's largest with a massive attendance of 900,000 people in both Edogawa Ward and neighboring Ichikawa city in Chiba. .
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People are spread out along the riverbank of Edogawa River. Held on the first Sat. of Aug. at 7:15 pm to 8:25 pm. If weather is bad, it is held on the next day
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The fireworks started exactly at 7:15 pm.
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Mt. Fuji
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I'm definitely not a good fireworks photographer. To avoid the crowds, I left the scene about 30 min. before the fireworks ended.
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Back at Shinozaki Station, it was quite quick to get on a train. "Keep walking slowly and do not stop."
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I shuddered to think how crowded the station would become in about 30-40 min.
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Fire knife dancers are the highlight and crowd pleasers. They are Japanese, but well-trained and highly skilled with the fire.
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Hachiman Matsuri in Omi-Hachiman is Shiga Prefecture's biggest fire festival. Impressive even without the fire. Just look at these giant torches made of rice straw. There are more in front of Himure Hachimangu Shrine.
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The giant torches can be as high as 10 meters. They are made on the Sunday before April 14-15 when the festival is held. So these torches have been here since Sunday. In front of Taneya.
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A long bamboo pole stiffens the torches which really look like sculpture. The festival is held on April 14-15. On the 14th, they burn these giant torches one by one from 8 pm.
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Torch top look similar, but they are different.
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There are torches for the villages which partake in this festival. This is in front of Taneya, a local confection shop.
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Very artistic and aesthetic.
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These green torch will also burn. There are two of these green ones, one is male and other is female.
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Keep away from the stone lanterns.
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The torches are propped up with bamboo poles and ropes.
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More torches in front of Himure Hachimangu Shrine. This is also where they hold the Sagicho Matsuri in March. MAP
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Torches near Himure Hachimangu Shrine's Romon Gate. This is also one location where the film Idai Naru, Shurararabon (偉大なる、しゅららぼん The Great Shu Ra Ra Boom) was filmed. The ceremony for baby Ryosuke.
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Two tall ones in front of Himure Hachimangu Shrine.
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All this to pray for an abundant harvest.
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In the afternoon of the 14th, people who made miniature torches can come to Himure Hachimangu Shrine and burn them.
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Burning miniature torches at Himure Hachimangu Shrine.
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Another tradition is to have children drag a miniature torch around a fire. In the old days, many children would be running around this fire.
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Smaller torches.
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This is in front of Taneya.
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At around 7 pm, people with taiko drums start to arrive.
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A few taiko processions arrive and marched around.
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At 8 pm, there's supposed to be fireworks, but due to the East Japan earthquake/tsunami, the fireworks were cancelled this year in 2011.
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Some time after 8 pm, they finally lit the first torch.
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Then they had smaller torches being dragged around by small groups of men and boys.
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The torches leave a trail of fire.
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It seems that they gathered all the smaller torches (which they dragged around) here.
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Now we see a large torch on fire. I noticed the flying embers falling on Taneya, but no problem.
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Another giant torch is set on fire. They use long bamboo poles mounted with small torches to light the giant torch. They first light the crown of the giant torch.
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They also light the mid-section of the torch.
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Then the whole thing catches fire quickly. I'm not sure if they used any kerosene, but I didn't smell any.
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Another torch burns. One after another, they set the giant torches on fire.
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Fire monster rages hotly.
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Fire monster
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It's amazing that the small, flying embers don't start fires nearby.
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Now come near the shrine with more giant torches.
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Giant torch.
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They light it from the top.
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Soon the entire torch burns.
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After a while, the torch falls to the ground. Of course, with ropes, they control which direction it falls. I should've brought marshmellows.
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This is the second to the last torch to be burned.
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Hachiman Matsuri fire festival, Shiga Prefecture.
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Watching this festival made me think how wonderful and miraculous this thing called fire is. We worship and need it, even though it can very destructive.
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It was already around 10 pm.
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But there was another torch to be set afire. This one was to be the climax. They would light this torch while it is still leaning sideways, then they gradually make it vertical as it burns.
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Leaning torch crown closeup.
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Leaning torch. Unfortunately, I had to catch the last train home so I didn't have time to see this torch burning. Maybe next time.
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Also, the next day on the 15th, they didn't bring out the usual taiko drums out of respect for the Tohoku quake/tsunami victims. Maybe I'll see it next year.
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Smaller torches to be lit before the final, leaning torch.
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My Hachiman Matsuri video.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Divine arrow to ward off any life-threatening devils. The festival is executed by the mountain ascetic priests called yamabushi.
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He shoots an arrow into the pile from the four corners.
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This long torch will be used to ignite the pile.
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The pile is first ignited from two sides.
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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.
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