Gangara Fire Festival (がんがら火祭り)
Time: August 4
Prefecture: Osaka
Location: Ikeda City Hall and Surroundings

Not for the faint of heart, the annual fire festival in Northern Osaka Prefecture has its origins dating back to 1644. The event kicks off with the lighting of the characters 大 (Dai) and 大一 (Daiichi) on Satsuki Mountain, resembling the Daimonji in Kyoto. Two enormous torches, standing at 4 meters high and weighing 100 kilograms each, are carried along a 3-kilometer route throughout the city. Caution is advised as the proximity to the intense fire can be quite close.