Ikeda's 380-year-old Gangara Fire Festival Celebrated

The second Satoyama Asobitai activity in Ikeda focused on the Gangara Fire Festival, a tradition that has continued for over 380 years since 1644. Participants viewed videos of the festival, toured the torch‑making workshop, and learned that the celebration merges the Castle‑mountain and Ken‑ishi town festivals and is recognized as an intangible folk cultural property of Osaka Prefecture.

Volunteers from Osaka University’s ice‑hockey team joined the effort, helping to hammer firewood into large torches, ringing a half‑bell, and observing the massive torches carried through the town. The report notes that crafting a torch takes one to two weeks and highlights the community’s dedication to maintaining the fire safely.