The deities of Atago Shrine have long been worshipped as gods of fire. They say the shrine was founded when, long ago, people saw a fire at the peak of Mt. Satsuki and declared, "Atago has come to Ikeda!" At the time, fire was a huge concern for the people of the area, who lived in wooden houses with almost no protection against blazes.Evidently, people came to believe in a god of fire, hoping it would protect them from fire-related disasters.The historic Gangara Fire Festival, which dates back to the Edo period, takes place every year on August 24th. Youths carry two large torches weighing upwards of 100kg down the mountain to light the gigantic Chinese characters "daiichi" and "dai" (large) ablaze. After that, they form the torches into the character for "person" and parade through the town. This ritual has been designated an Osaka prefecture intangible cultural property. *Pictures depict the Gangara Fire Festival.