A festival held at Daigan-ji on the island of Itsukushima/Miyajima in which priests and brave members of the public walk briskly across searing hot coals in bare feet. The ceremonies generally begin at 1pm while the fire-walking starts an hour or two later, but we suggest you arrive with plenty of time in case schedules change on the day.
If you’re thinking of participating, be aware that injuries are not unknown.
On the shores of Lake Towada, the venue is transformed into an illuminated winter wonderland for a period of three months in winter. In previous years, the event was compressed into three weeks in February, but in the interest of […]
While most snow festivals feature man-made sculptures, the snow monsters of Zao are entirely natural. Created in rare circumstances that require specific weather and tree formation, the snow gathers in such a way that monsters are formed in the mountains. […]
Celebrated to mark the end of winter and the day before spring begins, setsubun is an age-old Japanese ceremony thought to drive evil spirits from the house. Many people dress as demons and are herded out of businesses and houses […]
One of the many traditional Setsubun festivals taking place across Japan, this one is unusual in that it features Geiko – the Kyoto version of Geisha. On the first day, there will be dance performances and bean-throwing ceremony from 1pm […]
