Mount Takao Fire Walking Festival is an event I have had an interest in since I moved to Hachioji in 1994, but had never been to until this year, when it occurred on March 10.

I missed a lot. It was an enjoyable ceremony, even if it was filled with a few too many long, boring rituals.

The ceremony has a long build-up, where yamabushi Buddhist aesthetics give a lot of prayers and blessings. The action starts heating up — literally — as they begin self-flagellating themselves. The huge pyre of dried sticks is then set alight, the flames fed and allowed to roar and then die down. After the fire has gone out, first the priests, then members of the general public, walk across the burning hot coals.

If I have one complaint about the ceremony, it’s the treatment of the media.

We are required to register and wear media jackets, but not given any particularly protected access from which to report on the event, meaning we have to fight against the hundreds of amateur photographers for who this event appears to be a favorite.

 I complained to the organizers, but I guess my complaints will fall on deaf ears. Despite this, it was a great event.

Those interested can see photos of the event.

Contact details

Takaosan Yakuoin

2177 Takaomachi

Hachioji, Tokyo

Tel: (042) 611-1115

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 7:57 pm and is filed under Weird Japan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.