A mock battle then erupts, to ensure good fortune in the coming year.
If you’re planning a ski trip to Japan, it’s well worth timing it to coincide with the wild and slightly alarming Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Matsuri. Come winter, the beautiful Japanese town of Nozawa lies half-submerged in powder, making it not only excellent for skiing, but the ideal place to watch the lighting of a towering pyre and fire-fuelled battle between villagers. Held on the same day each year, the festival goes for around four or so hours and holds cultural significance to locals as the wooden shrine is endowed with a dosojin (a deity that presides over roads and borders) before being set alight. A mock battle then erupts, to ensure good fortune in the coming year. Don’t worry, though, you won’t be drawn into the fray, as only men of the specific ages of 25 and 42 are able to participate.