Oniyo Fire Festival 鬼夜火祭り

The Oniyo Fire Festival is a 1,600-year-old ceremony to exorcise evil spirits. The sheer scale of the festival, held in early January in Daizenji near Fukuoka, is astounding. The climax comes when six enormous torches are lit, and groups of men pull them around.

The festival is one of Japan's three most important fire festivals and is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

The venue is accessible by train and a short walk.

Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine is accessible by railway from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station.

Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine is a five-minute walk from Nishitetsu Daizenji Station. Trains from Fukuoka to Daizenji Station take approximately 45 minutes.

This historic festival is an extremely hot tradition. After a seven-day period in which the fire is lit and then closely guarded, the "devil fire" is transferred by a procession to six enormous torches, each around 13 meters long.

These torches are then carried around the grounds of Daizenji Tamataregu for several hours before being laid to rest at the edge of the shrine.

It is considered good luck if sparks or embers from the torches fall on you, though you may find yourself in need of new clothes as it's not uncommon for small holes to be burnt through.

The participants in the festival are clad only in loincloths and are warmed by the heat of the torches. This is particularly impressive considering that temperatures get close to freezing in early January. The festival goes on no matter the weather.