A winter-solstice tradition in Yono, entrusting wishes to fire-walking and yuzu
Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The day of the winter solstice / Every year
- Location
- Ichiyama Shrine
- Area
- Saitama Prefecture・Saitama City(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/20
Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival is a Saitama City-designated cultural property where people perform fire-walking on the day of the winter solstice and pray for good health and safety at home. It is also fondly known as the Yuzu Festival because yuzu are distributed to visitors.
About Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival
Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival is a city-designated intangible folk cultural property held on the day of the winter solstice at Ichiyama Shrine in Chuo Ward, Saitama City.
Participants walk barefoot across embers in a fire-walking ritual to dispel the year’s impurities and pray for good health and safety at home in the coming year.
Because the yuzu offered at the shrine are distributed to visitors, the event is also called the “Yuzu Festival.” It has been passed down as a winter tradition in Yono, Chuo Ward.
Source: さいたま市／文化財紹介 一山神社冬至祭
Festival highlights
The highlight is the fire-walking ritual, held after hiba branches piled up in the are set alight and the flames die down.
A path is made through the embers and purified with salt, and visitors walk across it barefoot.
The yuzu thrown into the fire and the yuzu distributed at the end also reflect the purpose of the event: to dispel impurities and pray for good health throughout the year.
Source: さいたま市／ばらエティレポート2025（12月）
A winter-solstice tradition in Yono, entrusting wishes to fire-walking and yuzu
What to expect
The event begins with a at the , after which the hiba branches in the shrine grounds are set alight.
Once the flames die down, a path is made through the center and purified with salt before the fire-walking ritual begins.
Yuzu are distributed to visitors, and traditions also remain of taking the yuzu home to put in the bath or toss beneath the floor of the house.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Ichiyama Shrine (4-10-14 Honcho-higashi, Chuo Ward, Saitama City)
- Train and bus
JR Saikyo Line: Exit at the west exit of Yono-Hommachi Station, then walk about 15 minutes.
Source: さいたま市／無形民俗文化財等公開カレンダー
Address 4-10-14 Honcho-higashi, Chuo Ward, Saitama City
Dates and season
In 2026, it is scheduled to take place in December.
It is generally open to the public on the day of the winter solstice.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Saitama Prefecture / Saitama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
When observing the event, please be considerate and follow proper etiquette so as not to inconvenience the preservation group, local residents, or other visitors.
In the shrine grounds, where the fire-walking ritual and shinji take place, please take care not to disrupt the event.
Detailed dates and times are announced in the city newsletter, on the website, and through other channels.
Nearby attractions
さいたま市立博物館
埼玉県さいたま市大宮区にある博物館
さいたま市立浦和博物館
埼玉県さいたま市緑区にある博物館
久伊豆神社
さいたま市岩槻区宮町の神社（旧県社）
埼玉県立歴史と民俗の博物館
埼玉県さいたま市大宮区にある博物館
写真：Dddeco at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
埼玉県立近代美術館
埼玉県さいたま市浦和区にある美術館
大崎公園
埼玉県さいたま市緑区にある公園
Iwatsuki Doll Museum
埼玉県さいたま市岩槻区にある博物館
氷川神社
埼玉県さいたま市大宮区にある神社
秋ヶ瀬公園
埼玉県さいたま市桜区にある都市緑地
大宮公園
さいたま市にある公園
鉄道博物館
埼玉県さいたま市大宮区にある鉄道博物館
Origins and History of Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival
Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival became a city-designated intangible folk cultural property in Heisei 12 June 20.
The preservation group is the religious corporation Ichiyama Shrine, and the event is open to the public on the day of the winter solstice.
Traditions include fire-walking on the day of the winter solstice to dispel impurities and pray for good health and safety at home in the coming year, as well as taking yuzu home.
Official information
Saitama City’s cultural-property information page provides details on the designation category, public viewing location and date, and an overview of Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival.
Details such as the event date and time are announced in Saitama City’s information on cultural-property-related events.
Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival at a Glance
Ichiyama Shrine Winter Solstice Festival is a city-designated intangible folk cultural property held on the day of the winter solstice at Ichiyama Shrine in Chuo Ward, Saitama City.
The central ritual is fire-walking: after hiba branches are burned, participants walk barefoot across embers purified with salt.
Also called the Yuzu Festival because yuzu are distributed to visitors, this winter event is a time to dispel the year’s impurities and pray for good health and safety at home.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/20
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