Koiji Fire Festival

The Koiji Fire Festival takes place at Koiji Beach in Noto Town, on the calm Uchiura coast of the Noto Peninsula. Its name, meaning "path of love", comes from a local legend of tragic romance, and the festival is said to have begun when villagers lit bonfires to console the spirits of the ill-fated lovers.

At its heart are two kiriko, tall, ornately decorated wooden lantern floats, one large and one small, representing a man and a woman. Young men shoulder these and wade out into the sea, advancing towards Benten Island just offshore. As fireworks burst directly above the island, the bearers pitch and sway the floats through the water, their silhouettes set against the light in a striking display.

Once the two kiriko are set before the island's red torii gate, a set piece of fire unique to the Koiji district, known as abura-mono, is set alight. It is built afresh each year with words concealed within it, revealed only as it burns. The bearers then swing small torches on bamboo poles, tracing rings of fire through the dark, before a great torch is finally lit and blazes up against the night. With the torii and floats illuminated by the flames, the festival draws to a close.