Nozawa Now: Monday 15th January 2018
- Jan 15, 2018
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano
New snowfall at base 1cm
Snowfall at base this season 378cm
Posted on Monday 15th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here.
Morning from Nozawa.
Some more snow fell during the morning yesterday – by 12 noon the ski resort was reporting 1cm at Karasawa base, 6cm at Uenotaira and 13cm on the top Yamabiko area of the mountain.
Lots of cloud remained into the early afternoon but the sun managed to peek through at times, and the clouds mostly clearing up nicely by the time evening was approaching. Turned into a really nice afternoon.
This morning we are starting the day with a mix of clearer sky and cloud - due to be sunny and fine for the day - and it is very probably going to be much milder than it was yesterday. It's a pretty cold start, but temperatures rising into low single digit numbers.
Should be good weather for the Fire Festival, and on that subject...
The main part of the 'Dosojin Fire Festival' takes place today. More details on the festival itself are posted below.
From the folk in Nozawa:
"A reminder that the Fire Festival is a privilege and an amazing experience to witness but visitors must remember to be respectful of the local people and their traditions. Specifically, only receive alcohol if you are offered it and avoid pestering the town members given that it is theirs to enjoy.
The people in the village are very generous and want to make it a safe and incredible experience. Don't drink too much and prepare for a cold night, as there is a good amount of standing around."
There have been some cases in the past of visitors getting somewhat over-enthusiastic and causing some problems. Let's all take a step back, respect the locals, respect the event and enjoy the spectacle.
The Dosojin Fire Festival
The Dosojin Fire Festival is the biggest date on the calendar for Nozawa Onsen and is one of the three most famous ‘fire festivals’ in Japan.
The festival is held on the 15th of January every year - no matter what day that falls on. The festival is to pray for a plentiful harvest, health and good fortune in the coming year and dates back to 1863. Though the locations may have changed, the festivities remain pretty much the same.
During this festival the 25 and 42-year-old men from the village play a very important role. An old belief in Japan dictates that, for men, these years are ‘unlucky’ ages. The 25 and the 42-year-old men in their unlucky ages construct the shaden (shrine) from beech wood, reaching a height of 18 meters. Every year it takes 100 villagers to build the shrine. The trees are cut down in October and brought down from the mountain, through the village, on January 13th.
After the shaden has been constructed, the priest from Kosuge shrine performs a ceremony to endow it with a God. Along with the shaden there are an average of five tôrô (dedicatory lantern poles) erected every year. These poles are made by a family in the village to celebrate the birth of the first son. The tôrô are offered to the Gods in a prayer for health and good fortune.
The festivities begin with the lighting of the fire by the 25 and 42-year-old men. A small group of men carry a torch, which is lit by striking two stones together, from the Kôno residence to the festival grounds. The torch is used to start a bonfire from which the handmade torches, used to attack the shrine, are lit.
The festival centres around the shaden. The 42-year-old men sit on top and the 25 year old men stand guard at the base. Those who are 41 and 43 years old stand around the perimeter to protect the spectators. Torch bearing villagers of all ages attempt to break through the guards and light the shaden on fire. A dangerous and lively battle ensues. The defenders try to put out the fire by striking it with pine branches. The attack lasts for about one hour, after which the 42-year olds call an end to the ceremony and the shaden together with the tôrô are set on fire in an offering to the Gods.
The entire festival can take up to four hours from the beginning to the end, but the main attraction is the battle between the guards and the torch bearing villagers.
Nozawa Now 2017-2018 season |
Data as of Monday 15th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 378cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 28 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 53cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 21cm reported on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 217cm reported on 16 days January 2018 snowfall 140cm reported on 10 days |
All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report.