Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Fire Festival 2027 Confirmed

野沢温泉の道祖神祭り — Nozawaonsen, Nagano (Koshinetsu)

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Every January 15, the ski village of Nozawa Onsen builds a tall wooden shrine and then fights over it with fire: villagers charge the shrine with burning torches while the men of unlucky ages defend it, until the whole structure is set alight in the night. It is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and it falls in the middle of the ski season.

Background

The festival is run by the village's men in their unlucky years — ages 42 and 25. The sacred tree for the shrine is felled in the mountains in October, hauled into the village on January 13, and the shrine is completed on the 15th before being offered up to the flames that night.

Getting there

Nozawa Onsen is about 25 min by the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus from Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Iiyama is roughly 2 hours from Tokyo).

Tips

• The date is fixed: always January 15, whatever the day of the week. In 2027 it falls on a Friday.
• It is a village festival in deep snow at night — wear proper snow boots and warm layers, and stay behind the lines the organizers set; sparks and burning torches fly.
• Village accommodation for January 15 fills early because it is also peak ski season. Book as soon as you can.

Last verified against the official source: Sat, September 26, 2026