fire and violence festival 2

ushitsu-machi on the eastern noto coast held its' annual fire and violence festival this past weekend. the festival stems from a historical event to drive a harmful plague from the city. the portable shrines represented the plague that attacked city and this ceremony from what i understand is meant to purge the sickness from the city. they basically destroy this portable shrine by throwing it on pavement, into 2 rivers, burn it, smash it with poles, more fire, more dropping and more smashing it against things. all of this while drinking lots of sake.

at the end of the long procession they took it to the city's shrine and spun it through the fire several times scorching the sake soaked wood.


after burning it and basically beating the hell out of this thing, they took it inside the shrine said a bunch of prayers which was followed by a lot of yelling

at the end of the night the carriers rang the shrine's bells and were dowsed with more sake.