2010 is the Year of the Tiger (and so was 2009 for anyone who likes a good golf scandal), meaning that it’s time for the Onabashira festival in Suwa, Nagano. Taking place over the course of the month, local men cut down four large trees and drag them up to the four component shrines of Suwa Taisha, an act of spiritual rejuvenation in the Shinto religion.
Of course, the true spectacle – and the reason people from all around Japan come to watch this event – is that the men ride their logs down hillsides, holding on for dear life. As some of you may know, log riding is risky business – several people have died over the years, and participation is restricted to locals and madmen.
japaninfoswap.com
for school project only
