Torches lit again in Fukuoka fire festival with history stretching back nearly 1,600 years

Video footage taken on the night of Jan. 7 at Daizenji Tamataregu shrine in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture shows participants in the Oniyo Matsuri ritual setting fire to and parading immense torches in what is considered of the three main fire festivals in Japan. Several hundred parishioners bore six torches made from bundles of bamboo measuring about 13 meters in length and weighing about.1.2 tons each in the rite designated by the government as an important folk cultural asset said to have a history stretching back about 1,600 years. The rite is held to ward off misfortunes at the beginning of the year, to petition for a bountiful harvest and to ensure safety in the home.