Yoshiwara Mandoro Fire Festival
Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Kyoto Prefecture. Aug. 16. every year.
special PHOTO ESSAY edition
with what3words you can know exactly where you are on fire.
What’s going on here?! Is this a festival or a sacrifice captured on film? Let’s back up and let the photos tell a story (with a little context from the captions).
It rained much of the afternoon, but it has ceased and the chosen make their way to the Isatsu River in ceremonial white. Nice relaxing bike ride for a nice relaxing festival in Maizuru Japan.
Two more spotted (hiding their white clothes with brighter haori) on their way to the river down Yoshiwara’s narrow streets. The Yoshiwara festival was started about 300 years ago to appease the sea god and pray for the extermination of jellyfish, prevention of marine accidents, and bountiful catches of fish.
What’s this totally unassuming mast doing here along the river? No one planning to light this on fire are they? No, probably not.
Starting around 7:30p.m. Nightfall dramatically increases the tension for both the participants and onlookers. The sea god demands fire!
Yes, that’s it. The mast has been lit on fire at its ends and is carried into the river. An overseer checks progress from above. Someone is still smiling so it can’t be that heavy.
LEVEL 1: Raise the Mast
Poised, they begin raising the flaming mast in the center of the river. This is what the sea god and spectators came for.
In a flurry of effort, they hoist. Ropes are used to pull and balance as well. This process takes a while. Needless to say failure would extinguish all the flames. No flames ＝ angry sea god + jellyfish invasion
Every year is unique. And some years are not as successful as others. No one takes for granted that this mast will fly in the center of the river. This moment is crucial.
Nearly up, and it people break out into smiles. But things are about to be taken up a couple of notches.
Finally standing, the chosen steady the mast for the larger task at hand. Now may also be a good time to point out how most people have their heads covered.
LEVEL 2: Spin the mast amidst raining flames
The idea is to spin the mast using the people at the base and people maintaining the ropes on the outer edges. The group is divided into the people balancing the base, people balancing with the ropes, and people tasked with constantly splashing the people at the base to keep the embers from burning through their clothes. Just a reminder, they’ve been doing this for 300 years.
Yes, those are large embers raining down onto the people spinning the base. And yes, they hurt. The more times they spin the more successful the festival is considered to be. And on those rare occasions when they manage to balance it perfectly, and it revolves around and around and around, something utterly incredible takes place.
LEvel 3: ascension
The mast is still rotating. Flames are still falling. Splashers are splashing like mad. But they are one member short. The one who begins the climb.
The higher this brave (or insane) person climbs, the harder it is to balance for everyone else.
Higher still. The mast wobbles. Ropes pull taught. The chosen below try to coordinate their efforts between gasps and mouthfuls of splashed water.
Wait. Is he smiling? Does he know something we don’t?
level 4: getting down
To clarify just in case the blur of his body isn’t clear. He is shaking the mast as violently as possible, making the task of those below even more difficult. The shaking mast also doubles the amount of embers raining down on those below.
Behold the glory, mast shaking, fire raining, one solitary person on the far side trying to get out of the way (wait, what?), rope-holders letting go of their responsibility (um….). For the epic finale to this festival, come see it yourself on August 16th, as evening begins to fall (usually around 7:30 p.m.)
Interested in Yoshiwara and it’s crazy, interesting people?
Highlights of the Yoshiwara district for travelers: