world reviewer
Aso Town Fire Festival, Kumamoto Prefecture
Listed under Festivals in Kyushu, Japan. Rated 71st of all Festivals in the world.
Every march the town holds a fire festival in which the hill sides are burnt. A kanji symbol ('fire') is also burnt on a hill. This kills pests and means the hills bloom brilliant green in the summer months after the charring. There is also a more spiritual element to the burning, in keeping with Shinto concepts of renewal and communication with the kami (shinto spirits).
The festival itself features a taiko drumming performance and then bales of straw are set on fire and the audience is invited to have a go at swinging them. Quite a lively, and dangerous, spectacle.
Written by 
Jack Davies.
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