A grand festival counted among Japan’s three most unusual festivals.
Yoshida Fire Festival (Fire Extinguishing Festival) is an autumn festival of both the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine and Suwa Shrine.
It is held annually on August 26th and 27th as a festival to send off Mount Fuji. With a history of over 400 years, it is one of Japan’s three unusual festivals and one of Japan’s ten major fire festivals, representing Fujiyoshida. On the afternoon of August 26th, a ritual is held at the shrine, and two portable shrines, the ‘Ohmyojin-san’ and the ‘Mikage’ (representing Mount Fuji), are paraded through the residents of the Kamiyoshida district.
At dusk, more than 70 large torches, each measuring 3 meters in height and shaped like bamboo shoots, are lit at a place called ‘Otabisho.’ The fantastic sight of the road illuminated by the torches for about 2 kilometers is breathtakingly beautiful.
The festival continues until late at night, and the excitement of the festival grows. On the following day, August 27th afternoon, the two portable shrines proceed through the residents with shouts and return to Sengen Shrine when it becomes dark.
Following the procession of the portable shrines within the shrine grounds, when parishioners and worshipers carry ‘susuki no tamakushi’ together, spectators also join in, and the festival reaches its climax as the shrine is enveloped in excitement.
*Pictures shown are for illustrative purposes only.
■Every year on August 26th-27th ■Time Day 1: around 15:00-22:00 Day 2: around 13:30-20:00 ■Location Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine and others For details, please refer to 'Fujiyoshida City Tourism Guide.' .
Location
5558 Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture
