Japanese Fire Festival With Giant Torches Held at Shrine in Fukuoka Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:55 JST, January 8, 2026

KURUME, Fukuoka — Giant flaming torches were carried during the Oniyo Fire Festival at Daizenji Tamataregu shrine in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Wednesday night.

The festival, designated a national important intangible folk cultural asset, is said to have continued for over 1,600 years. Those who are showered with sparks are believed to enjoy good health and be free from illnesses.

Men dressed in traditional loincloths used oak poles to carry six blazing torches, each measuring 13 meters long and 1 meter in diameter and weighing approximately 1.2 tons, during a parade through the shrine grounds, scattering sparks over spectators.