“Onja Onja” is held at 8:00pm on January 7th.The day marks the end of the New Years’ celebration time period called “Matsunouchi”, a traditional Japanese term. The festival has taken place since the Edo era. A large torch with a length of just over 10m is burnt with decorations for the New Years celebration such as “Kadomatsu” (like a bamboo gate) and “Shimenawa” (a decoration of straw rope, etc).
It is really exciting to see how the big torch is stood up vertically in the fire by community firefighters. People surrounding the fire make a wish for their safety throughout the year. It is believed that being exposed to smoke and ashes from fire prevents bad things from happening and brings good fortune and economic prosperity to people. It is also believed that the fire of these festivals purifies everything. Fire festivals are held during the New Year’s celebration time in Japan.
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