OSAKA - The 'Yassai Hossai' fire festival, dating back to prehistoric times, reached its zenith on Thursday with a stunning fire-walking ritual, exciting hordes of onlookers.
The festival, praying for a good harvest and a bountiful catch, is said to originate from a legend where villagers saved a stranded 'Ebisu-sama' sea god and warmed him with fire.
Among the roaring flames, naked men gather in droves, emitting strange chants as they run around the Ishizu Ota Shrine in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture.
Held annually on December 14, 'Yassai Hossai' has a long history. Even the President of the Festival Preservation Society President, Masakazu Sakaguchi, doesn't know where the name came from.
The main attraction is the fire-walking ritual, where three men, representing this year's 'Ebisu-sama', dash over a collapsed Tonto, a structure erected in the shrine precincts at the start of the festival to mark its beginning.
While the "Yassai Hossai" festival this year was a triumph, it faces challenges ahead.
"Young people are dwindling," a festival goer lamented, "It’s hard to continue if we just rely on the older generation."
With depopulation leading to the decline of various local festivals, Yassai Hossai is no exception. To continue preserving the tradition, increasing participation is essential, and the Preservation Society plans to actively promote the festival online, with the president saying, "We aim for even safer and more spectacular celebrations."
