info@m.burning-japan.com
ABOUT Burning Japan
What is Burning Japan?
Burning Japan is an event inspired by Burning Man, an annual event held in the state of Nevada in the United States. At Burning Japan, the participants are not bystanders but the main protagonists. Sharing instead of trading is one of the main principles of this unique event. People gather bringing everything necessary to survive during the event, they share and admire artworks, music or dance performances. During Burning Japan, the venue becomes a fictitious city and when finished it returns to its original state.
(Video by Tomoya Nakamura, 2015)
Have you ever searched “Burning Man”?
Let me describe “Burning Man”. Surely you have seen photos or videos of naked people, huge art installations or a ghost car in the middle of a huge desert. It looks exciting, doesn’t it? I am sure you would like to be part of this festival!
But those photos and videos cannot adequately capture the real magic.One of the most important aspects of Burning Man is that everything you see in those images, every art piece, performance, or experience, was brought there by people like you, the “participants”.
There is no concept of “performer” here.
It is entirely a participant-driven event people are welcome to freely express themselves and participate in any way they like, there are “no spectators”.
There is no concept of “business” here.
Exchange of money is prohibited inside the festival area, and everything operates through the spirit of gifting, which does not expect anything in return.
It is a place where you can find relieve from daily society and pursue your true self.
Of course this doesn’t mean “do whatever you want”. Please take responsibility of your actions; be considerate, do not hurt others. Leave no trace, clean up after yourself, pack it in, pack it out.
The question that comes up here is that, “is it really a festival?”
I would like to call it a new model of a society rather than a festival.
When I realized that the spirit of Burning Man is more important than making huge art installations, I thought it could also be held in Japan. That was the beginning of the regional event “Burning Japan”.
Chances are, there are things on this site that you can’t understand just by looking at pictures and videos — however, by participating and experiencing this event for yourself, you can take a break from everyday life and pursue your true self.
What is Burning Man?
What is Regional?
Neighboring Regionals
Burning Man is an outdoor event taking place in the Black Rock desert, Nevada, United States of America. The main highlight of this event is the burning of a wooden effigy called “The Man”. That’s why this event is called “Burning man”.
On the summer solstice in 1986, on the San Francisco’s Baker beach, Larry Harvey, the main co-founder of Burning Japan and a few friends burned The Man a 2.7 meters wooden doll during a bonfire. With the increase of popularity and the increase of participants, in 1990, Burning Man moved to Black Rock desert.
During this event, a fictitious city called “Black Rock City” is set up in the middle of the Black Rock desert in which arts and performance can be watched in the area called ‘Theme Camp’.
In 2020, Burning Man happened in the virtual world and attracted more than 160000 participants and is expected to have a virtual burn again from August 22nd to September 6th in 2021.
■ Burning Man website
https://burningman.org/
Burning Man’s venue will return to its original state one and a half month after the end of the event, and will become an unmanned plain until the next summer. However, based on the original Burning Man event, communities that inherit the same culture have been formed in local regions. In recent years, more than 200 people in America are working actively as an intermediary for various countries around the world. As a result, official regional sub-events that resonate with the unique vision of Burning Man are held more than 40 times a year.
Speaking of the ‘Burning Man’, it is only being held once a year in Nevada. Meanwhile, in other countries, official regional ‘Burns’ that follows the 10 principles of Burning man are also being held under the official regulations. There are no direct financial support nor franchise but the culture of Burning Man being rooted in each community, everyone is helping each other as much as they can like a big family.
Burning Man’s influence has spread out from the Black Rock desert beyond the borders of America, and Japan is no exception. Until 2007, we organized Japan Regional on a daily basis. From 2012, the official event affiliated to Burning Man based in Japan called “Burning Japan” has been finally launched.
■ Burning Man Regional Network
https://regionals.burningman.org/
■ Japan Regional
https://regionals.burningman.org/regionals/asia/japan/
■ Burninja! , Japanese community site by Japan Regional
http://www.burninja.info/
Throughout all America, communities of Burning Man participants has been formed. In Asia, besides Japan, there are people working actively as intermediary in South Korea, Shanghai, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, India and UAE.
■ Asia – Burning Man Regional Network
https://regionals.burningman.org/regionals/asia/
Several events similar to Burning Japan are being held in the Asia-Pacific region too.
Kiwi Burn （New Zealand）
January 27 – February 1, 2021
https://kiwiburn.com/
Blazing Swan (Western Australia）
April 17 – 23, 2019
April 1 – 5, 2021
http://blazingswan.com.au/
Dragon Burn （China, Shanghai）
May 1 – 5, 2019
http://www.dragonburn.org/
Turtle Burn （Taiwan, Yilan）
June 7 – 9, 2019
April 1-4, 2021
https://turtleburn.com/