Yoshida Fire Festival

Overview

The Yoshida no Himatsuri (Yoshida Fire Festival) is a festival of Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine and its auxiliary Suwa Shrine, held over two days on August 26 and 27 each year in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture. Formally known as the "Chinkasai" (fire-quelling festival), it is known as a festival that prays to calm the eruptions of Mount Fuji. It is said to be based on the legend that the enshrined deity safely gave birth to her children amid raging flames, and it is counted among Japan's Three Great Unusual Festivals and its Ten Great Fire Festivals.

The greatest feature of the festival is the sight of large torches roughly three meters tall being lit all at once along the streets of the Oshi-machi district on the night of August 26. The way the entire town is enveloped in flame is described as a "sea of fire," and its fantastical power draws many spectators. In contrast to the opening of Mount Fuji on July 1, this fire festival marks the end of the summer climbing season, the so-called "closing of the mountain."

History and Origin

Although the Yoshida Fire Festival is now regarded as a grand and special rite of Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, it is said to have originally been the regular festival of the auxiliary Suwa Shrine. Even today, the local residents hold a strong belief that "the land deity is Osuwa-sama" and "the fire festival is Osuwa's festival," suggesting that the original custodian of the festival was Suwa Shrine.

A legend concerning the deity of Suwa is handed down as the origin of the fire festival. As depicted in mythology, one night when the Suwa deity was fleeing from pursuers, the residents of this land came out to greet the deity holding torches in their hands. The pursuers mistook the lights for reinforcements and retreated, and so the Suwa deity remained in this place for a while. It is said that the fire festival began when people burned the torches they had held as large torches to honor the Suwa deity, though the details, along with the origins of Suwa Shrine itself, remain unclear.

As faith in Mount Fuji grew, the precincts of Sengen Shrine expanded and its influence increased. In this process, Suwa Shrine was absorbed into Sengen Shrine and became an auxiliary shrine, and with the prosperity of the Oshi-machi district, Sengen Shrine came to be regarded as the tutelary deity as well. In this way, the festival gradually shifted into its present form as a festival of the two shrines.

The history the festival has accumulated is long, with its tradition said to span more than 450 years. On March 8, 2012, it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, and its value has been publicly recognized as a precious folk event integrated with the faith in Mount Fuji. A custom is still observed whereby anyone who has lost a family member within the past year refrains from all involvement in the festival, known as "buku," carefully preserving the festival free from mourning.

Highlights

About 80 Large Torches The symbol of the festival is the large torches lit on the night of August 26. Bound into a bamboo-shoot shape about three meters tall and 90 centimeters in diameter, about 80 of them are dedicated mainly along the main street of the Oshi-machi district near the Kane-torii gate. Torches arranged in a well-crib shape in front of each house are also lit, and the sight of the whole street enveloped in flame is breathtakingly beautiful.

The Contrast of the Two Portable Shrines The Myojin-type portable shrine "Omyojin-san" carries three Sengen deities and two Suwa deities, and is borne carefully by relatively older bearers. In contrast, the sacred image "Oyama-san," which represents the raging, erupting Mount Fuji, is said to carry the rough spirit of the great Sengen deity, and is borne wildly by younger bearers. The contrast between calm and wildness vividly brings out the character of the festival.

Dropping the Oyama-san During the procession, the bearers deliberately drop the "Oyama-san," which weighs about one ton, an act unusual for a portable shrine. This is said to be done to prompt the manifestation of the deity's divine power and to calm the raging Mount Fuji. Together with numerous legends, such as that the shrine suddenly grows heavier when the deity boards it, this is a scene that endlessly fascinates the bearers.

Faith in Fire Protection and Safe Childbirth On the night of the 26th, sparks may fall on rooftops, yet it is said that not a single fire has ever broken out. For this reason, there is a custom of picking up the charcoal embers (oki) of the torches as a charm against fire and taking them home as amulets for safe childbirth, fertility, and good health. It is striking that, even amid this festival of wild flames, the everyday wishes of the people are embodied within it.

The Susuki Festival and Takamagahara On the 27th, children's portable shrines also join as all the shrines are carried out into the town, parading among the parishioners until evening. At night, the festival reaches its climax as the shrines circle the "Takamagahara" within the shrine precincts five or seven times. At this time there is a custom of holding "susuki (pampas grass) tamagushi" to pray for safe childbirth and good health, and the 27th alone is also called the "Susuki Festival."

The Solemn Transfer of the Deity In contrast to the wild flames and clamor, the "hosen" (transfer of the deity), in which lanterns floating in the dark night faintly illuminate the white silk screen while gagaku music and the herald's cry echo through the forest, is truly solemn. The contrast with the intensity of the previous night's flames makes the cool, clear night air stand out all the more, conveying the profound depth of the festival.

Event Information and Access

The Yoshida Fire Festival is held over two days on August 26 and 27 each year. On the 26th, the main hall rite and the Suwa Shrine rite are conducted at Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine in the afternoon, and from the evening the procession of the portable shrines and the lighting of the large torches begin. On the 27th, all the portable shrines, including children's shrines, parade through the town, and the festival reaches its climax at night as they circle the Takamagahara. It is scheduled to be held again on August 26 (Wed) and 27 in 2026.

The venue is Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine in Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the surrounding Oshi-machi district. The large torches line a road stretching about two kilometers, centered on the main street with the Kane-torii gate, within walking distance of Fujisan Station on the Fujikyuko Line. Traffic restrictions are in place and the area becomes very crowded on the days of the festival, so use of public transportation is recommended. Since viewing takes place at night, clothing that protects against sparks and care with one's footing are essential.

Surrounding Information

Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine is a venerable shrine known as the northern gateway to the faith in Mount Fuji, with a solemn approach lined with giant cedar trees within its precincts. Located at the starting point of the Yoshida climbing route up Mount Fuji, it is also included as one of the component assets of the World Cultural Heritage "Mount Fuji." Beyond the festival season, it draws many worshippers as a place that conveys the history of Fuji worship to the present day.

The Oshi-machi district, the stage of the festival, is a street where the houses of the oshi (pilgrimage guides) who once welcomed the ascetics of the Fuji-ko faith once stood, and it retains a historic townscape that supported the faith in Mount Fuji. The surrounding area is dotted with sights such as the Mount Fuji Radar Dome Museum and shops serving Yoshida udon, a local specialty of Fujiyoshida, allowing visitors to enjoy the culture and cuisine of the foot of Mount Fuji along with viewing the fire festival.

Related Information

• Location: Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture (Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, Suwa Shrine, and the Oshi-machi district)
• Period: August 26 and 27 each year
• Formal name: Chinkasai (fire-quelling festival)
• Status: One of Japan's Three Great Unusual Festivals and Ten Great Fire Festivals; a festival marking the end of the summer climbing season
• Main highlights: About 80 large torches roughly 3 meters tall, two portable shrines (Omyojin-san and Oyama-san), the Susuki Festival
• Cultural property designation: Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan on March 8, 2012

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