Hiburi-shinji at Aso Shrine

 

Hiburi-shinji is the annual festival held at Aso Shrine in Aso, Kumamoto-prefecture.

Hiburi-shinji is a Shinto ritual that signifies the wedding ceremony of the gods.

When the deity of the Himegami wrapped in oak branches and leaves arrives,

the parishioners all celebrate by lighting torches made from grass and waving

them around.

A ring of flames swinging heroically colors the Shrine at night, and the whole area

is enveloped in a fantastical atmosphere.

After Hiburi-shinji end, spring comes to Aso.