The Aso Hifuri Shinji is a sacred Shinto ritual held at Aso Shrine, one of Japan's oldest shrines, dating back more than 2,000 years. Participants swing large bundles of burning rice straw called hifuri in great circles under the night sky, creating spectacular arcs of fire against the dark backdrop of the Aso caldera. The ceremony is offered to the deity Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto to pray for good harvests and is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kumamoto Prefecture. The event draws visitors who combine it with exploration of the active Mount Aso volcano nearby.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Autumn
- Month
- Late July (traditional lunar calendar, late September–October in solar calendar)
- Region
- Kyushu
- Prefecture
- Kumamoto
- City
- Aso
Highlights
- ◆Priests and participants swing flaming straw torches in dramatic arcs
- ◆Held at the 2,000-year-old Aso Shrine
- ◆Backdrop of the world's largest volcanic caldera
- ◆Designated Kumamoto Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property
- ◆Combines well with daytime Aso volcano crater visits