Blazing torches light the sky and in the darkness a multitude of flaming reed straw ropes are swung around in an exciting spectacle to welcome the kami of Aso Shrine.
The dramatic Hifuri-shinji festival takes place in mid March in the grounds of Aso Shrine. The holy ritual has been designated as one of Japan’s Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. This ancient ritual’s purpose is to pray for a successful and fertile rice harvest and also celebrates the symbolic marriage of two ‘kami’ or divine spirits: Kunitatsu-no-kami (the divine spirit of agriculture) and a princess god who both reside at the shrine.
The swirling, blazing torches create a fantasy world which serves to welcome the’goshintai’ the sacred objects in which the ‘kami’ or divine spirits dwell. The date of the matsuri is set on the day of Monkey during the period of the Hare in March (in accordance with the Chinese zodiac).
2016 Date: Tuesday March 15th
The ritual takes place between 6 p.m. to around 8 p.m. There is a ceremony from 6pm and the torch swinging will begin from 7 pm.
Location: Aso Shrine, 3083-1 Ichinomiyamachi Miyaji, Aso City Kumamoto Prefecture
Tel: 0967-32-1960
Admission is free
Access: Take the JR Hohi Line to Miyaji Station, and then walk 15 min to Aso Shrine or take a taxi (5 mins)