Ogiyama Fire Festival扇山火まつり · Ōgiyama Hi Matsuri

What it is

The Ōgiyama Fire Festival (扇山火まつり, Ōgiyama Hi Matsuri) is a burn of the grass slopes of Mount Ōgiyama, a 792 m mountain in Beppu, Oita Prefecture. The flames trace the mountain's fan-shaped ridges (ōgi, 扇, means "folding fan"). It is held every year as part of the Beppu Hatto Onsen Matsuri, the city's spring hot-spring festival, and the organizers describe it as the event that tells the gods of the hot springs that spring has arrived.

When it is held

The fire festival takes place in early April, on a date set each year by the onsen festival's organizers. Beppu marks April 1 as Onsen Kansha no Hi (温泉感謝の日), its day of thanks for the hot springs, and the festival is built around it.

In 2026 the 112th Beppu Hatto Onsen Matsuri ran from April 1 to 5, and the 50th Ōgiyama Fire Festival was held on April 2. The burn is postponed in rain; the backup date in 2026 was April 6.

What happens

The onsen festival opens on April 1 at Hachiman Asami Shrine (八幡朝見神社), where a sacred flame (御神火, goshinka) is lit at the opening ceremony. On the evening of the fire festival, members of the Ōgiyama grass-harvesting association (扇山採草組合) climb the mountain and set the slope alight with that flame at 6 pm.

In 2026 about 95 hectares were burned, and 200 fireworks were launched at 7 pm to mark the 50th edition. Spectators gathered at the foot of the mountain to watch the line of fire spread. The blackened slope turns green again during April.

The rest of the onsen festival

The Beppu Hatto Onsen Matsuri celebrates the blessings of the hot springs; Beppu Hattō refers to the city's eight hot-spring areas. Besides the fire festival, mikoshi are paraded through the shopping streets. The 2026 program also included:

• April 4: events at eight venues around the city, including Kaimonji Park and Matsubara Park, with mochi-maki (rice-cake scattering), zenzai (sweet bean soup), amazake and children's Japanese dance.
• April 5: events at six venues including Kannawa, and from 3 pm the Yu-bukkake Matsuri on the street in front of JR Beppu Station. A record 213 tonnes of hot-spring water were thrown from buckets and ladles over about 1,000 mikoshi bearers from 30 groups, and from 3:30 pm over the spectators too.
• April 2–5: the "Furo Marathon" stamp rally, with a fee of 6,000 yen and places for the first 200 people.

Tips

• The date is not fixed; check the onsen festival's official site each spring.
• Rain moves the burn to the backup date, so keep an evening free if you can.
• If you are visiting for the fire festival, it is worth staying on for the Yu-bukkake Matsuri at the end of the week.