Burning of the Daruma Dolls

This is my entry into the brand new weekly theme. Take a look at the announcement post here. 

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While visiting friends in Matsumoto last weekend, I was invited to join a neighborhood celebration in the grounds of a local school. There was a huge bonfire upon which giant daruma (red doll heads modeled on the monk who founded Zen Buddhism) were burned.

Later on, a firefighter dressed in a futuristic cloak raked the flames towards the crowd. They were deemed weak enough for the children to toast mochi and marshmallow over, but the smoke and heat were still surprisingly intense.

As one of only two non-Japanese there, I considered myself lucky to have been present. Here are a few pictures (taken in manual mode for the new weekly theme) from the evening:

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My jacket still smells of the smoke, even after hanging it outside for days.

Hope you enjoyed this. Comments welcome below. Thanks for looking!