Held on January 15^th each year, the ‘Nozawa onsen Dosojin’ (野沢温泉道祖神火祭り) is one of Japan’s great fire festivals, attracting thousands of visitors to one of the country’s most popular ski resorts to witness in the midst of the snow season. The festival includes preparatory events on both January 13^th and 14^th with the main action taking place on the night of the 15^th, when the town and audience parade through the village to the main festival area where a wooden shrine is set to be attacked with fire by the young men of Nozawa while simultaneously defended by older ones.

— Where is Nozawa Onsen?

— What Happens During the Festival

— Visit Nozawa on a Guided Tour

WHERE IS NOZAWA ONSEN?

Located around 50KM (<1 hour drive) to the northeast of Nagano City and within easy reach of Tokyo – 260KM (<4 hours drive), Nozawa Onsen is a historic hot spring town better known in recent years as one of Japan’s most popular ski resorts. The town lies around 20 to 25-minutes drive from Iiyama Station. As a stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line running from Tokyo to Kanazawa via Nagano, Iiyama Station is a convenient hub from where to reach Nozawa by shuttle bus or taxi – a total journey time of around 2 hours from Tokyo. Nozawa’s history as a hot spring town stretches back more than 1000 years but for international visitors, it is best-known for its fantastic ski resort and lively village offering some of Japan’s best apres ski. Outside of winter, Nozawa Onsen is much quieter but developing as an all-year-round destination with some excellent accommodation, dining, outdoor activities, hot springs and a couple of very good breweries enticing you to visit.  

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE FESTIVAL

Anyone is welcome to watch the festival however participation is strictly limited to local residents. While great fun to witness, to truly enjoy the festival it’s worth understanding its history and purpose. Nozawa Onsen Dosojin stems from a mix of Shinto and folk beliefs and like many ‘matsuri’ (festivals) in Japan, is intended to dispel bad spirits and luck, bring good fortune and fertility to the village and strengthen the community. As you move around the village you will see many ‘dosojin’ outside homes and businesses. Called ‘Yacchimatahiko’ (the male figure) and ‘Yacchimahime’ (the female figure), this legendary couple were said to both be unattractive but even so, managed to find love with each other have a son. This archaic tale gave rise to the festival, which is intended to promote the vitality of the village and celebrates the birth of first sons to villagers in the past year.

While the festival takes place every year, local men aged 40 to 42 form a group called the ‘sanyakko’ and are responsible for the festival for a period of three years, before responsibility is handed over to the next sanyakko for the following three years. This process has seen the festival sustained for centuries and is considered a coming-of-age rite of passage for the men of Nozawa Onsen. These men prepare a new shrine each year, an impressive timber structure – standing 7 meters in height with saplings reaching even higher above – constructed from local beech trees and using traditional methods. Construction starts on the 14^th and is completed on the afternoon of the 15^th, with families who have been blessed with their first born son in the past year, erecting 9-metre tall ‘first lanterns’ next to the shrine.

Once preparations are complete, the main event starts around 7PM on the 15^th, when local men aged 25 parade through the village with burning torches, enroute to attack the shrine. Around 8:30PM they will arrive at the shrine and attack with true vigour, as men aged 42 stand atop the shrine trying to defend it. Fueled by bravado, the energy of the crowd and a large amount of ‘sake’, the attack and defence is carried-out with true passion – an amazing and raucous sight to behold in the cold winter night. Eventually, the older men will concede and come down from the shrine, which is then set ablaze around 10PM, burning long into the night as locals throw fuel onto the fire, brought from their own homes. You’ll see all manner of things thrown into the fire, as they burn-away any bad luck and wish for a good year to come and continued success of the village.

VISIT NOZAWA ON A GUIDED TOUR

1 Day Tour

1-Day Tour From Hakuba & Nagano: Nozawa Fire Festival & Snow Monkeys
Period	January 15th
Time	11:30/13:00 – 23:45/01:00
Meeting Place	Hakuba Nagano Station
Adult Rate	¥24,500
Child Rate	¥19,500

*We were unfortunately unable to offer this tour in 2024 due to a decision by the town to limit participation to only town residents or those who have booked a hotel room for the night. We are unsure what will happen in 2025, and are thus not offering the tour for sale at the moment.

What want to attend the festival on a guided tour? Our 1-Day Nozawa Fire Festival & Snow Monkeys Tour combine an afternoon visit to the nearby Jigokudani Monkey Park with an early dinner before heading to Nozawa for the festival. Please note, this is a family-friend tour and not a drinking tour designed for the comfort and enjoyment of guests of all ages. We’d love to have you join us!

1 Day Tour

1-Day Ski Tour Package from Nagano Station
Period	December, January, February, March
Time	07:40 ~ 17:30
Meeting Place	Nagano Station
Adult Rate	¥40,000 / 32,000
Child Rate	¥28,000 / 22,000

If you just want to ski on Nozawa’s epic powder, we also have you covered! On our above tour, you can pick a ski resort of your choice and will be provided with transport, rental gear, lift passes, and even optional lessons if you choose! Perfect for those looking to ski on a tight schedule, or trying skiing for the first time, don’t miss out on this experience if you are in Nagano during the winter season.

If you are looking for transportation to/from major destinations, including Nozawa Onsen, our company is happy to help! Our buses are clean and modern, and we have vehicles that are suitable for single travelers, couples, families and groups of up to 45 people. Click here to browse some of our popular charters and to inquire directly.