Akihasan Shuyoji Fire Festival
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What Is the Akihasan Shuyoji Fire Festival?
On December 15th and 16th, the Akihasan Shuyoji temple in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, holds its Fire Festival. The rites center on an offering of seventy-five trays to Akiba Sanjakubo Daigongen, the deity known for protection against fire, and worshippers travel from across Japan to pray for fire safety.
Praying to a Fire-Guarding Deity by Lighting Fires
Mount Akiha has long been the heart of Japan's fire-prevention faith, known nationwide simply as "Akiba-san." The climax is the goma fire-walk: a priest stands atop a stacked goma altar that is set alight from four sides, chanting mantras amid the flames while holding a large kite; afterward, worshippers walk barefoot over the embers to purify themselves.
- Where: Akihasan Shuyoji temple, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture
- When: December 15th and 16th each year
- Central rite: an offering of seventy-five trays to Akiba Sanjakubo Daigongen, the fire-guarding tengu
- The two days: the 15th sends off Sanjakubo as he departs for fire festivals nationwide; the 16th welcomes him back
- Fire walking: the climactic goma fire-walk, in which worshippers follow the priest's rite by crossing the embers barefoot
Why a Fire Festival in Winter?
From December through February the air is dry and heaters run constantly, making it the most fire-prone stretch of the year. That everyday reality is part of why fire-prevention festivals cluster in this season.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Press the test button on your home smoke alarm and confirm it works
- Check that nothing flammable is sitting near your heater
- Locate the fire extinguishers and escape routes at your workplace
- Find out whether your own area has a shrine or temple devoted to fire prevention
Year-End Is Exactly When Fire Care Matters
At year-end, homes are rearranged for cleaning and guests, and heating runs for long hours. The warning the Akiha fire festival has carried for centuries reads just as well as a note on living safely through December.