Fire And Water
Hifuri Asobi
Me playing with fire. Picture courtesy of Ben Colbridge. This is the last picture that I will post, for now. I can not stress how much I love this particular festival. For those interested in participating, it takes place every year in mid March (at Aso Shrine, located in Japan, Kumamoto-ken, Aso-gun, Ichinomiya-machi). Though not … Continue reading
Hifurishinji
The hissing swoosh, the flaming orbit of a fiery body in motion. Yes, that sillhouetted object in the background, just under the flame, is someone’s leg. The booming thunder of Taiko drums. Unorganized, erratic swinging of massive fireballs, participation available to all who dare enter the fiery grounds of hell. Orange flames gnawing free of … Continue reading
A Month Of Fire
In Aso, the whole month of March is dedicated to celebrating fire in various ways. It is a traditional practice to light one’s field, full of the dried out stalks and chaff left over from last year’s harvest, on fire. This not only provides entertainment, but it also looks cool and serves to fertilize the … Continue reading
Holy Water
Every once in a while, I take a picture that I really like. This one was taken at a lake in Yufuin (in Oita-ken), and I had to venture out into the water to get it. I really like the shrines that are built in or around water in its various forms. They seem more … Continue reading