Trial by Fire: 1,200 Years of Purification and Pro

• Prize
  Gold in People/Culture, 1st Place winner in People
• Photographer
  Yasushi Kashima
• Technical Info
  Iso320 / F1.4 / Ss1/125 / Full Frame

For over 1,200 years, the Toba Fire Festival at Shinmeisha Shrine has called brave young men to leap into towering torches, risking burns to retrieve sacred symbols of hope and fortune. In this ancient rite—presided over by rival communities named Fukuji and Kanji—each region’s champions race to seize the “Shinboku” and “Juninawa” from the blazing “suzumi,” revealing the year’s harvest, weather, and fate. With hearts purified through icy water and spirits ignited by flame, these men become living conduits between the sacred and the mortal. This series captures the mythic intensity of humans an

I am Yasushi Kashima, a professional photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I capture nature, traditional festivals, and spiritual landscapes across the country. My work won 1st Place in the Nature / Seasons category (Professional Division) at the International Photography Awards (IPA), was selected in the Jury Top 5 (2024), received Gold in the Professional category at the Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3), and has been awarded in multiple international competitions. My photography explores the ephemeral beauty of mist, light, and memory.