In one of our classes, we asked foreigners living in Nozawa Onsen about what they think tNozawa Onsen’scharms are. Nozawa Onsen has many charms. Everyone said that the good community and traditional culture were the  main charms.

It is said that the Dosojin Festival was already held in the late Edo period, about 250 years ago. The Dosojin Festival was once on the verge of disappearing due to the war, but it has been cherished and passed down to the present day.  Dosojin is the god of roads and is said to prevent bad things from entering the village.

After deciding to put up lanterns, we realized that we needed a lot of money, so we decided to sell hot spring eggs at the morning market. The morning market is a tradition held every Sunday from May to October in Nozawa Onsen Village on Oyu Street from 6:00AM to 7:30AM. Delicious bread and Nozawa Onsen specialty products are also on sale. We were very happy to see so many people buying hot spring eggs and cheering us on by saying, "Good luck!" At the morning market, we were once again able to feel the kindness of the villagers.

In Nozawa Onsen, when a firstborn son is born, a lantern is made and dedicated to the child in hopes of healthy growth. The lanterns are decorated with umbrellas, rhombuses, and paper flowers, and calligraphy is hung at the bottom. Lanterns are made in cooperation with villagers.

The Dosojin Festival is held on January 15th every year, and is recognized as one of Japan's three major fire festivals that is an important intangible ethnic cultural property. The highlight of the festival is the lightning of the bonfire. To create the bonfire, a lit torch is used to light a 10m long wooden building called "Shaden" building on fire. At the climax of the festival, the lanterns are dedicated. If you stand under the sparks that are emitted at that time, you can experience a scene that can only be seen at that time. There is no other festival that is held on such a grand scale. Please come to Nozawa Onsen and check it out!