Ikeda City Hall and Surroundings, Osaka

Not for the faint of heart, this annual fire festival held in Northern Osaka Prefecture dates back to 1644. The festival starts as the characters 大 (Dai) and 大一 (Daiichi) are lit on Satsuki Mountain, in a similar fashion to the Daimonji in Kyoto. Two gigantic torches that are 4 meters high and weigh 100 kilograms are carried around a 3-kilometer route throughout the city. Be cautioned as the distance between the powerful fire can become quite close.