Mount Takao Hiwatari-Sai Fire-Walking Matsuri

Every second Sunday in March, the Takaosan Yakuoin Buddhist temple holds a unique fire-walking festival known as the Hiwatari-Sai Matsuri where Yamabushi monks display the depth of their faith and asceticism by walking barefoot over smoldering coals, the remains of the matsuri sacred fire. Worshippers, while watching Yamabushi monks performing this ancestral ritual, pray for the safety of their families and loved ones as well as for protection from traffic accidents.