Mt. Takao & Fire Festival

Plum blossoms

This is at the top of Mt. Takao.
With clearer skies, you'd really be able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance just over my head.

Fire crews were on standby just in case the fire got out of control.

light lunch (was very proud of myself for eating all my pickled vegetables)

wasabi

Today Diane, Jim, my mom and I went on a tour of Mt. Takao. It was a nice hike up the mountain. We first took a cable car up the first leg and then hiked up the rest. The paths were dotted with shrines, temples, statues, and vendors. It was wonderful hiking weather. The air was crisp and the sun was bright. There were a few traces of snow on the ground. We enjoyed lunch at the summit and headed back down to see the Fire Festival. We were very fortunate to witness this event- as it only occurs once a year. The ceremony lasted over two hours beginning with chanting and the sounding of conchs. The center arena was filled with fresh tree branches which were eventually lit on fire. The ceremony culminated with participants and onlookers going on a fire walk. We considered joining in for about five seconds and decided that we have much more sightseeing to do and would need healthy feet. :)

This video is for Jack...