Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2009

Courtesy of Japan Fire Festival

Belly dancing not your thing? How about fire juggling? The upcoming mini-Golden Week in September presents no shortage of out-of-the-ordinary entertainment options, but the Japan Fire Festival promises to be one of the most intriguing. Held at the Iizuna Ski Resort in northern Nagano, the third edition of the annual festival will feature four days of poi spinning, juggling and dancing, with all manner of contests, workshops and general frolicking. One new addition this year is an opening ceremony in which all of the scheduled performers will be lighting up at once. Other highlights include an appearance by the renowned percussion ensemble Gocoo, a 1,000 Person Poi event, and a contest featuring Japan’s top performers, many of whom—including Dai Zaobab and Yuta—compete internationally.

According to Takeshi Hara (a.k.a. Cyuge), owner of juggling shop Green and a regular at festivals worldwide, the Japan Fire Festival has a uniquely “peaceful” vibe. “The community in Japan is still small, so we really feel like a family,” he says.

Being small (and thus less bureaucratic) comes with certain advantages: revelers are free to pitch tents anywhere in the designated camping area and bring in outside food, so long as they take their trash home with them. Use of the facilities, parking lot and fuel for performances is also included in the admission price (¥8,000 in advance, ¥9,000 at the gate; kids enter free).

For more information on how to sign up for contests, host workshops, or get there, check out the bilingual website at www.firefestival.jp. September 19-23. See events listings for details.