Hello everyone!
I went to the Hi-furi (Fire Swinging) Ritual held at Aso Shrine on March 16th, and I’d like to share my experience! ✨
As someone from outside Kumamoto Prefecture, this was my second time watching the Hi-furi Ritual.
When I first saw it last year, shortly after moving to Aso City, I was absolutely terrified of the fire being swung so close to me! (lol)
The ropes holding the bundled kaya grass would burn through, sending flaming bundles flying a short distance away. It felt like they were coming straight at me, and before I knew it, I had taken a step or two… or more… backward. Because of that, I could only watch from a distance last year and didn’t dare participate in the fire swinging.
However, this year, I finally took on the challenge!
Since I’m not very athletic and afraid of fire, I prepared by tying a weight to the end of a long rope and practicing lightly in my home’s parking lot.
Of course, I also made sure to wear the right clothing. Since synthetic fabrics are highly flammable, windbreaker-type clothing is a no-go. I wore a cotton coat instead. It had just come back from the dry cleaners, but I decided that my fear of setting my clothes on fire was greater than my concern about keeping them clean!
That said, if you wear something too nice, the smoke smell will definitely cling to your clothes, so be careful!
Now, all set! Off to Aso Shrine.
Unfortunately, it was raining, but the shrine grounds were still packed with spectators.
At 7:00 PM, an announcement played, marking the start of “Goze-mukae”, where the bride goddess enters the shrine grounds.
To illuminate the pathway for the bride, the shrine parishioners all began swinging fire at once. Right at that moment, the rain stopped, allowing people to lower their umbrellas and properly celebrate the princess’s wedding procession.
Even though it was my second time watching, seeing the fire swinging up close was still quite scary.
The shrine parishioners are experienced, but the sheer force with which they swing the fire makes it seem like the flames could fly off at any moment.
Once the princess’s palanquin exited, the divine wedding ceremony successfully concluded.
Then, finally, the much-anticipated public fire swinging began!
People grabbed bundles of kaya grass and headed towards the flames. I, too, held my kaya bundle and waited my turn. It’s best to untie the string wrapped around the kaya beforehand so you can prepare smoothly.
There’s no strict order for participation—you just jump in when you see an opening and move toward the fire source.
Once I confirmed the area was safe, I lit my kaya bundle. The key is to light both ends of the bundle. If the fire isn’t strong enough, it takes longer to burn out, making the visual effect a bit underwhelming. (Though, if you want to enjoy swinging the fire for a long time, this might be a good thing!)
This was my first time fire swinging. I fumbled a bit at first, but once I started, I got the hang of it surprisingly quickly!
That said, having a whirling ball of fire spinning around me was still terrifying!
I thought I had been swinging for about five minutes, but later, I was told I stopped way too soon—what a waste!
Next year, I want to do even better and swing the fire with more confidence!
Additionally, Michi-no-Eki Aso hosted an event called “Japanese Language Playground,” where foreign residents of Aso City were invited to experience fire swinging. Many people from overseas participated, and they were really good at it!
Praying for a bountiful harvest and a wonderful year ahead! ✨
