The annual mountain burning ceremony heralding the arrival of spring was held at Akiyoshidai in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, known as Japan's largest karst plateau.
Akiyoshidai's ``Yamayaki'' is held at this time of year to burn off the growing dead grass such as pampas grass and grasshoppers to encourage new buds to sprout.
At 9:30 a.m. on the 18th, about 1,000 people including local residents and firefighters set dry grass on fire while local elementary school children performed the ``Grass Flame Taiko'' drum, which was inspired by mountain burning.
The fire reached a height of about 10 meters and spread across an area of grassland approximately 1,138 hectares in size, making a crackling sound.
Also, when a fire was lit near the observation deck, the many people who came to watch the fire cheered, admired the blazing flames, and took photos.
In just over two hours, the golden yellow mountain surface had turned to black ash.
In early summer, Akiyoshidai is once again covered in green grassland.
A 71-year-old man who was visiting with his wife from Ube City said, ``When the grass nearby was on fire, it was so hot and powerful that I had to back away.I would like to come back in May when the grass grows and turns green.'' I was talking.
A fourth-grade elementary school girl from Ube City said, ``It was so cool to see it make a crackling sound and burst into flames in an instant.''