Year-end fire watch, Japan

The last two days of the calendar year in the lead up to O-Shogatsu, New Year, Japan’s most important holiday. Men gather at the chokai hall and sip tea and divide into teams to patrol the kami (upper) and shimo (lower) halves of the neighbourhood. In groups of five or six they carry flashlights and paper lanterns, as well as noisy clappers. They call out "Hi no yojin" - "Take care with fire!"

Tagged: japan, calendar+customs