Kurama Fire Festival 鞍馬の火祭

The Kurama Fire Festival in the mountainous village of Kurama honors Yuki-jinja Shrine and its spirits, and lights up the night on October 22 each year. Now one of Kyoto's most popular fire festivals, it features a parade with hundreds of people bearing flaming torches, creating a truly majestic sight.

The event venue is easily accessed by train from Kyoto Station .

From Kyoto Station , take the JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station and change to the Keihan Line bound for Demachiyanagi Station. Transfer to the Eizan Kurama Line and get off at Kurama Station. The festival is held on the streets of the village just outside the station.

Visitors are advised to arrive early to better guarantee a viewing spot.

Yuki-jinja Shrine was moved to Kurama during a time of war in the early Heian period (794-1185). The parade is a reenactment of the ceremony that the local villagers held to welcome the kami spirits of the shrine to the village.

Easily Kyoto's most theatrical parade, this festival is both dynamic and hot. The procession begins at dusk, when small torches are lit in front of each house. Many homes display their family heirlooms—such as samurai armor—in their windows.

The parade is also considered a rite of passage for youth. Originally an event just for boys, girls now participate as well due to the shrinking population of the village. Children are first in the procession, holding small torches, followed by teenagers. The men of the village are the focus of the parade, carrying huge torches.

All involved wear traditional costumes: sandals, loincloths, braided rope skirts tied around the waist, and a padded cloth over one shoulder to cushion the torch.

A small number of village men carry mikoshi portable shrines. This is a show of great strength, as the mikoshi are incredibly heavy.

The torches are piled on top of each other to create an enormous bonfire. The festivities start at sunset and last until midnight.