RIKUZEN-TAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--A ceremonial fire was lit Aug. 8, as part of the Obon festival in this northern Japanese city, one of the hardest hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
RIKUZEN-TAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--A ceremonial fire was lit Aug. 8, as part of the Obon festival in this northern Japanese city, one of the hardest hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The firewood came from pine trees in the Takata-Matsubara scenic area that were knocked down by the March 11 tsunami.
The firewood was initially scheduled to be burned in the Daimonji Gozan Okuribi, the traditional Obon event in Kyoto in which huge sacred bonfires are lit.
However, rumors of radiation contamination led to the plan being canceled. The cancellation prompted more than 300 e-mails and angry phone calls to the government of Kyoto criticizing the decision.