A Winter Tradition Where One of Tokyo’s Largest Yagura Towers Goes Up in Flames Fuchu City – Oshitate Dondoyaki
Event Period:January
Venue:Fuchu City
In Fuchu City, the traditional dondoyaki fire festival is still carried on today in two areas: the Oshitate district and the Yotsuya district. Among them, the dondoyaki held in Oshitate is said to be one of the largest in Tokyo. Every year during Koshogatsu, the Little New Year, a towering yagura structure measuring approximately ten meters in height is set ablaze.
What Is Oshitate Dondoyaki?
The Oshitate style begins by erecting bamboo poles over ten meters long and constructing a yagura framework around them using additional bamboo. Early in the morning on the day of construction, local residents gather and begin work together. Moving in unison, they climb upward while securing split bamboo from the bottom to the top, gradually assembling a massive cone-shaped yagura with a diameter of about seven meters.
By the morning, the framework is completed. In the afternoon, straw is added, and the yagura is finished. On the following day, during the Dondoyaki Gathering, visitors are even able to look inside the completed structure before it is burned.
On the day of the event, the yagura is lit at 8 a.m. Thick white smoke billows into the sky, and flames shoot upward as if piercing the heavens. In a short time, the towering structure collapses into embers. Surrounded by spectators, people watch in awe at the power of the fire, each quietly wishing for good health in the coming year as they witness this time-honored ritual.
The Monument of Oshitate no Watashi Nearby
Very close to the dondoyaki site stands a monument marking Oshitate no Watashi, a former river crossing. Along the Tama River, which flows along the southern edge of Fuchu City, there were once seven ferry crossings used for transporting goods and people. One of them connected Oshitate in Fuchu City with Oshitate in Inagi City.
According to inscriptions on the monument erected by Fuchu City, a simple earthen bridge once existed, but boats were used during periods of high water. The crossing dates back to the Edo period and remained in use until the early Showa era. After two bridges were built upstream and downstream, usage declined and the ferry was eventually discontinued.
The place name Oshitate still exists today in both Fuchu City and Inagi City. Reflecting this shared history, the bamboo used for the dondoyaki is reportedly cut from Oshitate in Inagi City, located directly across the river from the Oshitate district of Fuchu. Beyond the flames of the Oshitate Dondoyaki, the landscape of Oshitate in Inagi City can be seen. Viewing the scene with this history in mind allows visitors to feel the deep connection between the land and its past.
| Event Period | January |
|---|---|
| Address | 5-chome Oshitate-cho, Fuchu City, Tokyo |
| Website | https://www.city.fuchu.tokyo.jp/gyosei/fuchusinogaiyo/jiko/fuchu_winter.html |
| Access | From Fuchu Station on the Keio Line, take the Chū Bus, Fuchu City community bus, and get off at Oshitate 5-chome |
| Discover more about the Tama region | https://at-tama.tokyo/lang_en/ Photos courtesy of Takako Shigegaki |
