Hiwatari Matsuri Firewalking

Summers in Kyoto are filled with one festival after another. Tonight I traveled by bike, train, then on foot, hiking the final miles of steps up the side of a forested mountain to the chants of cicadas through the trees, finally making it to the very top to the Tanukidanisan Fudo-in Buddhist Temple.

Tonight’s festival was Hiwatari Matsuri, an annual fire ceremony for protection complete with Buddhist monks firewalking across the coals.

My Sunday nights back at home were always so uneventful by comparison.

Check out the video of the ceremony here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET4kVb8rgxo&feature=youtu.be

You can hear the cicadas.