Page "Suwa, Nagano" Paragraph 7

Every six years ( in the years of the Tiger and the Monkey ), Suwa hosts a Shinto festival called Onbashira ( literally, " the honored log ").

As part of the event, very large trees up in the hills are felled and brought down into the valley, pulling them with ropes and sliding them down hills.

To demonstrate their bravery, young men from the area ride on the logs as they hurtle down the slopes.