Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Festival: Sacred Tree Felling Tour & Autumn Beech Forest Walk

About this event

A tour centered on the village's men in their unlucky years (yakudoshi) observing the sacred work of cutting down the sacred tree used to build the Dosojin shrine pavilion for the "Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Fire Festival", which is designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. You can closely observe the felling of the sacred tree and the dynamic spectacle of it being hauled by hand. Afterward, the tour takes a stroll through a beech forest with beautiful autumn foliage, which serves as the source of Nozawa Onsen's hot springs and water. For lunch, seasonal mushroom soup is served, allowing you to savor the autumn charms of Nozawa Onsen. This tour offers a valuable opportunity to learn about the depth of the Dosojin Festival known as the "Fire Festival", and participation is free. The sacred tree is stored and later brought to the Dosojin Festival venue through the "Goshimboku Satohiki" ritual, leading up to the completion of the magnificent Dosojin shrine pavilion on January 15 and its ceremonial burning. On this tour, you can experience the important preliminary sacred rituals of the festival and deeply understand the underlying culture and blessings of nature.

Venue

Hikage Terminal Day-use Parking Lot (Outdoor)

9746 Hikage, Nozawaonsen, Shimotakai District, Nagano 389-2502