"This is one of the three most remarkable festivals in Kyoto. It is said to reenact the scene of the enshrined deity greeted after traveling from the Imperial Palace to Kurama-no-Sato village, at the end of the Heian Period. On the evening of the 22nd watch fires are lit at the entrances to the local houses, and at 6:00 in the evening the town is lit up with torches carried by children. Soon after that the local people, wearing straw warrior sandals, parade through the streets carrying a great torch and yelling along the way until they gather at the sacred precincts of the shrine. Two portable shrines amid the sparks from the torches present a grand sight. The return celebration is held on the 23rd."
Watch fires like this are all over.
These huge torches are carried by two or three men in traditional dress.
Torches carried through streets with lots of shouting - something like "hup, hup"...
Standing the torches up at the shrine, was a bit wild as they fell over a few times. Drums banging and bells ringing.
There was a lot of rain at some points, torrential downpours. This seemed to add to the experience, the raw energy of fire and rain and the ritual of the festival. Quite a dramatic spectacle, which although there were plenty of foreign people, a great number of locals and Japanese tourists were there too, which must mean it is not just a show but a participative event for all.
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