A fire-walking ritual by boys that carries on an ancient tale
Kotenshi-no-miya Hi-no-kami Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- 2nd Saturday of October / Every year
- Location
- Kotenshi-no-miya
- Area
- Kumamoto Prefecture・Tamana City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 min · flight time only)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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/12
This fire festival is held at Kotenshi-no-miya in Oama, Tensui-machi, Tamana City, and features a fire-walking ritual inspired by an ancient tale from Wado 6.
About Kotenshi-no-miya Hi-no-kami Festival
The Kotenshi-no-miya Hi-no-kami Festival is a fire festival held at Kotenshi-no-miya in Oama, Tensui-machi, Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
The ritual follows an ancient tale in which people walked barefoot through fire to drive away a plague that was spreading at the time of the shrine’s founding in Wado 6.
The fire-walking ritual in which 2 boys walk barefoot across embers is the festival’s main highlight.
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the fire-walking ritual in which 2 boys walk barefoot across embers.
Rather than leaping through blazing flames, the boys walk across embers prepared for the festival. This scene is presented as a way of bringing the ancient tale into the present.
The distinctive feature is how the ritual’s concrete use of fire connects with the story of driving away a plague.
A fire-walking ritual by boys that carries on an ancient tale
What to expect
The festival includes a fire ritual associated with Kotenshi-no-miya, in which 2 boys walk barefoot across embers.
This fire-walking ritual follows an ancient tale in which people walked barefoot through fire to drive away a plague that spread at the time of the shrine’s founding in Wado 6.
The festival’s origins are made tangible through a ritual involving fire.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kotenshi-no-miya / Oama, Tensui-machi, Tamana City
- Train and bus
50 minutes by bus from JR Kumamoto Station / 30 minutes by bus from JR Tamana Station; get off at Oama-gu-no-mae and walk 5 minutes
- Parking
200 spaces at locations including the JA Tamana Tensui Branch parking lot
Address Oama, Tensui-machi, Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
2nd Saturday of October
- Frequency
Every year
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 Kumamoto Prefecture / Tamana City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Bairin Tenmangu Shrine
熊本県玉名市にある神社
疋野神社
熊本県玉名市にある神社
蛇ヶ谷公園
熊本県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
Origins and History of Kotenshi-no-miya Hi-no-kami Festival
The festival’s origins lie in an ancient tale from the time Kotenshi-no-miya was founded in Wado 6: people walked barefoot through fire to drive away a plague that was spreading.
The fire-walking ritual presented today follows this ancient tale.
According to news reports in 2023, the festival has continued for about 1300 years, and a local preservation association donated a manga about its origins to Oama Elementary School.
Kotenshi-no-miya Hi-no-kami Festival at a Glance
The Kotenshi-no-miya Hi-no-kami Festival is a fire festival held at Kotenshi-no-miya in Oama, Tensui-machi, Tamana City.
Inspired by an ancient tale about driving away a plague that spread when the shrine was founded in Wado 6, the festival features a fire-walking ritual in which 2 boys walk barefoot across embers.
It is usually held on the 2nd Saturday of October. You can reach the venue by bus from JR Kumamoto Station or JR Tamana Station.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/12
