Taimatsu Akashi Fire Festival

The Taimatsu Akashi Fire Festival is a dramatic and powerful historical Japanese tradition that ranks among Japan’s three major fire festivals. Rooted in a 420-year-old tradition, the festival began as a solemn ritual to mourn the souls of soldiers who fell during the 1589 battle when Date Masamune attacked Sukagawa Castle. The breathtaking main attraction is the sight of approximately 30 colossal torches, known as Ohtaimatsu, some reaching 10 meters tall and weighing 3 tons, being set ablaze on the mountainside of Mt. Gorozan. The celebration begins with the ceremonial carrying of the torches through the city streets by local youth, culminating with the lighting of the massive structures to the powerful, majestic beat of the Taimatsu Taiko drums, creating a fiery spectacle reminiscent of the Warring States period.