Nozawa Onsen’s Dosojin Festival

Festival highlights

Highlights include the shrine pavilion, about 7 meters tall, and the fiery battle staged in front of it.

The fire starters throw flames from torches at the shrine pavilion, while men at the unlucky ages of 25 and 42 guard it as firefighters.

Once the shrine pavilion is set alight after the battle, the first lantern is propped against it and the flames blaze high.

The procession carrying the sacred tree through the village and the Dosojin drums are also scenes that convey the festival’s intensity.

Source: 野沢温泉村とは ｜ 野沢温泉観光ガイド

Prayers for Little New Year in Nozawa Onsen, bound together by a sacred tree and flames

What to expect

Preparations begin in the autumn of the previous year with the felling of the sacred tree. On January 13, part of the tree is carried from the Hikage ski slope to the festival grounds.

The shrine pavilion is assembled on the 14th and completed around midday on the 15th.

On the night of the 15th, the participants stage a battle using fire brought from the fire source. After it ends, they set fire to the shrine pavilion.

A custom of grilling rice cakes over the remaining embers is also mentioned for the following day, the 16th.

Source: 野沢温泉の道祖神祭り ｜ 野沢温泉観光ガイド

How to take part

Spectators cannot take part in lighting the festival fire; they may only watch.

The men who light the fire and the men who defend the shrine structure against it are village men and men in their yakudoshi years.

An admission ticket is required to watch the festival. Tickets are issued to village residents and to people wishing to attend who are staying within Nozawa Onsen Village.

The festival’s central events are not open for general travelers to join freely.

To watch the fire festival, you must obtain an admission ticket as a resident of Nozawa Onsen Village or a guest staying in the village.

Guests staying in the village are advised to ask their accommodation about admission tickets.

You cannot apply to take part in lighting the fire; visitors may only watch.

Location and access

Venue and address

Dosojin Festival venue (Dosojinba), Nozawa Onsen, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture

By car

Roads in Nozawa Onsen are designated as no-parking zones, and restrictions are in place on pedestrian roads and elsewhere.

Please refrain from driving vehicles into the area around the venue.

Address Nozawa Onsen, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture

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Dates and season

The Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Fire Festival is held annually on January 15.

Preparations include felling the sacred tree the previous autumn, hauling it through the village on January 13, and assembling the shrine structure on the 14th.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

Admission to the fire festival site is limited to ticket holders.

Bringing drinks, alcoholic beverages, glass bottles, or cans into the venue is prohibited.

Drone flights are prohibited near the site, and traffic restrictions, including no-parking zones and pedestrian-only roads, apply within Nozawa Onsen.

As the fire festival is conducted as a shinto ritual, please follow local notices and staff instructions.

Nearby attractions

Along with the festival, you can visit Ogama to experience Nozawa Onsen Village’s hot-spring culture.

Ogama is a village-designated natural monument where spring water close to 90 degrees emerges; its five steaming pools form the village’s communal kitchen.

The village also has an outdoor bath culture safeguarded by the yunakama system since the Edo period.

Enjoy the local character shaped by the close ties between the festival and hot-spring life.

Origins and History of Nozawa Onsen’s Dosojin Festival

The Dosojin Festival is a Little New Year event that has been held in Nozawa Onsen for generations.

Passed down since the late Edo period, it was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property on December 13, 1993.

Preparations and the festival’s proceedings are passed down under the leadership of the Nozawa-gumi elders, mainly by the Sanya-ko group and men at the unlucky ages of 25 and 42.

It has been passed down as an event that brings together prayers to ward off misfortune, celebrations of children’s growth, and community solidarity.

Official information

Details of the event, visitor entry restrictions, and traffic controls can be checked in the Nozawa Onsen Tourism Guide.

The official website of Nozawa-gumi, which supports the festival, is also listed.

Details of its designation as a cultural property can be checked in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ database of nationally designated cultural properties.

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Nozawa Onsen’s Dosojin Festival at a Glance

Nozawa Onsen’s Dosojin Festival is a Little New Year event in Nozawa Onsen Village, known for its huge shrine pavilion and intense battle over fire.

Local residents shape the festival through extensive preparations, including carrying the sacred tree through the village, building the shrine pavilion, and offering the first lantern.

Visitor entry is restricted, and visitors cannot take part in lighting the fire. Please watch respectfully, bearing in mind the festival’s nature as a religious rite.

Source: 野沢温泉の道祖神祭り - 信州の伝承文化 - 信州の文化財 - 八十二文化財団