Shiga Prefecture Katsube Shrine – Katsube’s Fire Festival
Traditional Fire Festival of Shiga Prefecture
This fire festival has a history of around 800 years. It is held to pray for good health and avoidance of illness.
The Katsube Fire Festival has been designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Shiga Prefecture.
During the festival, young men dressed in loincloths set fire simultaneously to 12 large torches. The torches are shaped to look like snakes, and each is 5 meters long, has a diameter of 4 meters, and weighs around 400 kilograms.
The flames from the torches reach over 10 meters in height, making for an amazing spectacle.
Katsube Shrine – Katsube’s Fire Festival
Basic information on Katsube’s Fire Festival
Katsube Shrine – Katsube’s Fire Festival
- Address
- 1-8-8 Katsube, Moriyama City, Shiga
- Access
-
5 minutes on foot from the JR Biwako Line’s Moriyama Station
Tel 077-583-4085 - Event Date
- January 12th, 2019 (held on the second Saturday of January each year)
- Event Time
- Torches lit around 8:00pm