Today, Sunday, January 12, the 40th Donton-yaki festival was held at Atami Sun Beach. This annual event is a long-standing tradition jointly organized by the ten neighborhood associations of the eastern and central districts. This year too, residents and tourists gathered to circle the piled New Year decorations called an ‘onbe’. At 11:00 a Shinto ceremony was performed by Chief Priest Amemiya of Kinomiya Shrine, and after the ritual the priest lit the fire. The ‘onbe’ blazed up vigorously as everyone prayed for health, academic success, prosperous business, and protection from fires. The photos look a bit dark, but it was actually sunny! Tourists who happened to pass by also stopped to watch this traditional New Year event.