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.

Comments, reviews and questions

There are no posts. Why not be the first to have your say?

Add a comment, review or question

Review title
Your comment
Your rating
Your name
Your email address

Sponsored ads

  • Cultural Discovery Japan

    Cultural Discovery trips take you to see some of the most phenomenal wonders on the planet and meet a variety of incredible people.

    www.adventurecompany.co.uk
  • Japan Cycling Holiday

    Experience the culture of Japan, its traditions, cuisine & beautiful countryside on this guided 18 day tour from Kyoto to Kyushu. From £2850.

    www.skedaddle.co.uk
  • Ladakh Festival Tour

    Explore the most inaccessible region of India with the experts. 17 day epic tour from India's plains to the Tibetan plateau. From £1985.

    www.wildfrontiers.co.uk
  • Worldwide Festivals and Events

    Experience some of Europe's most amazing festivals: Venice Carnival, Running of the bulls in Pamplona, La Tomatina, Oktoberfest to name a few!

    www.topdecktours.co.uk
  • La Tomatina

    10 day one way trip from Madrid to Valencia staying in a double decker bus including the the Wine Harvest Festival & La Tomatina.

    www.topdecktours.co.uk
  • Advertise here

Who's been here

No travelers have told us they have been here. Have you?

Similar experiences

  • Rio Carnival

    Carnival is a celebration of fun, music and frivolity held worldwide, but Rio Carnival is the biggest and the best known. More…

  • White Nights Festival

    During the summer months of May and June in St. Petersburg the city is so far north that the sun never quite sets, with both tw…

  • New Orleans Mardi Gras

    The New Orleans Mardi Gras Carnival reflects the party spirit of a city still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrin…

What's nearby

  • Mt Kaimon

    Mt. Kaimon, also known as Satsuma-Fuji (“Mt. Fuji of Satsuma”), rises from the sea on the south coast of Kyushu and is renowned…

  • Ibusuki Hot Springs

    At the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, Ibusuki is southern Kyushu's most famous hot-spring resort and is home to 30,000 …

  • Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine

    Located several miles off the coast of Hiroshima city, the holy island of Miyajima is a sacred site of both Shintoism and Buddh…

Related content