Kirsten H Osa

Fire Walking Festival at the Hakkai-san Shrine

Hakkaisan Jinja (Mt. Hakkai Shrine) is a local Shinto Shrine where each year in October they hold a Fire Walking Festival. The evening before there is a procession through the local village up to the shrine. The next day there is a ceremony when timber piled up in front of the altar is put alight. After it has burned down devotees walk barefoot over the hot embers. Participants believe they will be protected from any kind of disaster and will be kept healthy through the coming year. We went to this festival twice but each time I chickened out.

Urasa Naked Men Festival

At the Urasa Bishamon-do temple they hold a 'Naked Man' festival each year on March 3rd. The 'Naked' men parade through the street and up to the temple where they jump into the freezing cold water in the tub beneath the dragon head.

Cherry Blossom Viewing

Next to Hakkai-san Shrine there is a small lake surrounded by beautiful cherry trees. We went there each spring during Ohanami (Cherry Blossom viewing) to have a pic-nic with some of the students from IUJ each spring.