Nozawa Onsen’s Dosojin Matsuri (Fire Festival)

Nozawa Onsen Village in Nagano Prefecture is famous for its hot springs and ski resorts. The area’s “Dosojin Matsuri” (“Fire Festival”) is one of Japan’s three great fire festivals, and it is an important Intangible Cultural Property of the country.
The festival’s main event sees the villagers trying to set fire to a giant shrine, 10 meters tall and 8 meters wide, while the yakudoshi (unlucky age) men of 25 and 42 years battle to prevent the fire.
The scene almost appears like a life-or-death battle, with men fighting each other tooth and nail with lit torches and pine branches.