# Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Fire Festival

> On the night of 15 January, villagers with torches try to set fire to a wooden shrine while the men of the unlucky ages of 25 and 42 defend it.

- Prefecture: Nagano
- Type: Fire
- Admission: See official site
- Typically held: Held every year on 15 January. The sacred trees are hauled in on the 13th and the shrine is built on the 14th.
- Official site: https://nozawakanko.jp/event/the-nozawa-onsen-dosojin-festival/

## Dates

- 2027-01-15 to 2027-01-15
- Status: provisional
- Dates verified on 2026-10-29 from https://nozawakanko.jp/event/the-nozawa-onsen-dosojin-festival/

In the two days before the festival the village cuts five sacred beech trees and builds a shrine about seven metres tall around them, and on the night of the 15th it is attacked with fire. The attackers are village men carrying bundles of burning straw. The defenders are the men in their unlucky years: the 42 year olds sit on top of the shrine and the 25 year olds hold the ground in front of it, beating the torches out with pine branches. The fight goes on for about an hour before the shrine is allowed to catch, and the fire takes with it the bad luck of the men who guarded it and the tall lanterns made for first sons born in the past year. The rite marks the end of the New Year season and is a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Nozawa Onsen is also a ski village, so the festival falls in the middle of the season and the slopes are open the same day.

## Where it happens
- Nozawa Onsen
- Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort

## FAQ

### Can visitors watch the Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Fire Festival?

Yes, if you stay in the village. The site is open only to ticket holders, and tickets go to residents and guests of Nozawa Onsen's inns and hotels. Day visitors without a ticket cannot enter.

### What time does the fire start?

The fire is carried in at around 20:30 and the children light up first. The adults' attack on the shrine runs until about 22:00.

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Source: [Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Fire Festival — Japan Voyage](https://travel.japanvoyage.jp/festivals/nozawa-onsen-dosojin-matsuri)
Last updated: 2026-11-10