Kurama Fire Festival

The Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬の火祭) is held on October 22 each year and is famous for its procession of men bearing huge flaming torches, some of which weigh up to 80kg, and groups of children carrying small pine torches through the village of Kurama. The festival is a re-enactment of a ceremony held in 940 following an earthquake that struck Kyoto, intended to move Yuki Shrine to Kurama to protect the then-capital from further disasters.

Although the festival begins during the day, it is the events after sunset for which visitors come. Small bonfires on stands called kagaribi (篝火) are lit at 6:00 PM in front of the town’s traditional buildings, after which the pine torches are set alight and the procession begins with cries of “saireiya, sairyo” to wish for a successful festival. This fire-wielding parade moves toward Kurama Temple around 8:00 PM before two mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried down from Yuki Shrine and paraded through the town.

Due to the number of visitors, there is a set one-way walking course along which everyone must keep moving; backtracking is strictly prohibited by local police. Because the village is serviced only by the two-car trains of the Eizan Electric Railway, the queue for the return journey to central Kyoto can take several hours after the main festivities conclude. It is important to note that if you miss the final train (typically around midnight), there is no alternative public transport out of the mountain village, and taxis are virtually impossible to secure on the night.