Shiotsu Bonfire Love Festival

This is a romantic festival held once a year in the Shiotsu district of Nakajima Town facing Nanao West Bay, where the male deity “Himenjin” on the mountain side and the female deity “Karashimajin” on the sea side meet on the sea.

　In the evening, after the rituals are completed at the respective shrines, boats carrying the portable shrines and votive lanterns are rowed out to the sea from the piers at Kasashiho (at the mouth of the Shiotsu River) and Karashima, respectively. At that time, lotus leaves are floated into the sea to create a path of lights.
　The boat carrying both deities follows this path of light to meet at a bonfire on the sea, and they circle the bonfire three times to enjoy a brief reunion.

　The night sky and the surface of the sea then sparkle with fireworks, as if to bless the reunion, creating a fantastic spectacle. Afterwards, the two deities head for the shore of Shiotsu, and after the ritual ceremony at the plaza, they vow to meet again the following year, and return to their respective shrines.

General Information