Every spring, the quiet canal town of Omihachiman in Shiga Prefecture hosts one of the most dangerous spectacles in Japanese culture: The Omihachiman Sagicho Fire Festival. I visited this fascinating event to document the wild local subculture for Tokyo Weekender (video below).
A little bit of history behind the festival: In 1579, the eccentric Japanese warlord called Oda Nobunaga finally completed constructing the nearby Azuchi Castle. To celebrate, he held a wild festival in the streets of the town, dancing through the streets in unconventional, flashy clothing featuring unique patterns, fabrics and exotic furs. A few years later, he was betrayed by one of his trusted generals and was forced to commit seppuku. Now, over four hundred years later, locals carry on his wild, rebellious spirit.
For two days around mid-March, local neighbourhood groups parade massive, heavy straw floats (sagicho) through the historic district. Channeling Nobunaga’s legendary style, participants wear wild clothing, dye their hair and get as drunk as possible while reaching complete exhaustion carrying these 500kg floats. Everyone is deeply, deeply cool, and the main character energy created a palpable buzz in the atmosphere.
After a battle between the neighbourhoods in the afternoon, the floats are set alight, the towering infernos crumbling as night falls.
YouTube video shot for Tokyo Weekender
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