Every Jan, The Dosojin Fire Festival in Nozawa focuses on protection and good fortune for the people of the village. Men aged 42 and 25 (maybe 24) defend a wooden shrine as the village lights it on fire. The fire isused as purification to ward off bad energy for the year ahead. Today, wood chosen by a village elder was carried down from the mountain but along the way a ton of sake! This was my first time at this part of the festival but it was SO cool to see #nozawaonsen #japan @athena @addie_duchin