The flames blaze up from the giant column, scorching the night sky. Were you able to experience how good that moment of ignition feels? We want you to see the intensity, the scorching fever, for yourself.
Because fire festivals are sacred rites, they are never rained out or postponed. On rainy days the pyres are lit with kerosene. However, a little humidity actually makes for a better fire. It takes longer to light, and you can really savor the moment it all goes up in flames. 2018 was a tough year for the festival; despite an approaching typhoon, the show went on. It was a strangely dry year; the typhoon didn’t bring any rain, only strong gales of wind. Before anyone knew it, the gales scattered the great pyre’s embers into the mountain and caused a fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt, nor was there any property damage.
Nowadays, the 30-meter pyre is built via a crane. However, over 30 years ago it was pulled up through pulleys and human labor. Sometimes the tree that acts as the core of the pyre would break in the middle of being built. But the festival must never be postponed, no matter what. The town comes together to cut down a new tree from the mountains that same day. It’s as tough for the men as it is for their spouses. The town prepares provisions to feed the workers in case the emergency preparations take all night.
For tourists coming in that same day, the festival and lighting probably seem short-lived. However, an entire town comes together a month prior to preparing for that singular, fleeting moment. Currently, there are approximately 100 households in Kōda town, and each one contributes eight bundles of firewood for kindling. However, since single-person households are on the rise, the town councils increasingly ask for money and sake donations.
But it’s not just about the moment the pyre goes up in flames; the moment it falls is also satisfying. It crashes down with a rumble. When the scramble for its bamboo streamer rod is done, the young hands set about extracting the “sacred tree” and its “sashidora” support beams. Pull ropes are tied to the rear of each of the seven support beams, and crowds of people pull them from the cinders one at a time. They must pull them out before they completely burn, in order to reuse them for next year’s festival. If it burns too slowly, though, it bores the elderly participants.
If you take on this festival, we hope you stick around for the sashidora extraction. Adding this to the lighting ceremony, you will surely feel at one with the locals, and therefore, feel even closer to this festival.
