Joya no Age-taimatsu Festival (城屋の揚松明)
Joya no Age-taimatsu (Age-daimatsu) Festival is a festival at Aza Joya, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture. It is on a list of cultural property designated and registered by Kyoto Prefecture as an intangible folk cultural asset.
Summary of the Festival
It is a festival held at Amabiki-jinja Shrine based upon a tradition about slaying a serpent.
In the old days, the festival began around 12 midnight, however, these days it starts around 8 p.m. when boys (shrine parishioners) get together, and after that, they purify themselves at a river, hold small jacklights in their hands around at 10 p.m. and throw them at and kindle a large jacklight about 16m in length while shouting. When the large jacklight is burning sufficiently, the shrine parishioners bring down the jacklight, the scene of a rolling sparking fire becomes a gorgeous spectacle.
Such a pageantry festival causes burn injuries among the shrine parishioners and viewers.
Event information
It is held on every August 14. In 2005, the festival celebrated it's 450th anniversary.
Literature
The festival was adopted as a stage for the novel, "Kami no hi" (fire of god) by Kaoru TAKAMURA.
Contact
Maizuru Tourist Association (within the Group for creating attractive town of the Industrial Development Office of Maizuru city hall) (Phone: 0773-66-1024)