An annual ritual at Asama Onsen, a small hot-spring town near Matsumoto, a gateway city into the Japanese Alps in the Nagano Prefecture. Wishing for rich harvests and peace, locals prepare bales of hay made of straw left over from the rice harvest. The bales are used as torches, to be lighted, roped and dragged across the town to the final offering destination Misha Jinja Togu. The parade started in the individual district of the town, congregated at Asama Onsen Square, where traditional drum ensemble provides an overture. Despite the constant chanting of “wa-sshoi!” by the locals, the speed of entry of the various groups caught me by surprise, seemingly appearing from nowhere. With more than 100 flaming torches, and some of them are as big as 3 meters in size, billowing pillars of smoke shroud the district, while the folk have a great time smearing soot one another’s faces. This series was captured in October 2015.
Young men tow the rope at the beginning of the festival at Asama Onsen, whose faces were already smeared with soot; hay bale from Asama Onsen, No. 2 Town Council.
Still at the start of the Asama Onsen Fire Festival October 2015, a jubilant display of sparkling fire swept from a burning hay bale.
A joyous occasions at Asama Onsen Fire Festival Oct 2015, locals fanning to spark a trolley mini hay, with beers in their hands!
The parade traverses the tiny streets of Asama Onsen during the Fire Festival, passing one of the Divine Gates in the town.
Asama Onsen Fire Festival parades through the narrow street of the little town.
Arrived at the base of the Misha Jinja Togu; and Tori gate of the Misha Jinha Togu shrine.
Fire department handles the balance of the hay bale.
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© 2026 Kim Lau
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