Kurama Fire Festival

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Near: Kyoto  (Event is Free)

Event Date(s): Oct. 21, 2025
Dates are subject to change without notice. Check with the official organizers before making travel arrangements.

The Kurama Fire Festival (in Japanese; Kurama No Hi Matsuri 鞍馬の火祭) is held at the Yuki Shrine (in Japanese; Yuki Jinja 由岐神社) in Karuma near Kyoto. This is one of those festivals where they don't mess around, be sure to stand back because its REAL! The festival reproduces the scene of receiving the deity in Kurama. Precisely at 6:00 p.m. "Kagaribi" (watch fires) are ignited in front of house and people holding torches (small and huge torches made out of pine) parade all night long yelling in loud voices the "arrival" of the festival (and deity).

Children carry small torches while adult males care huge torches, some 3 meters long and weighing over 80kg. At 8:00 p.m. the people gather at Yuki Shrine to pray and worship and then two portable shrines (Mikoshi) are carried out from the shrine and paraded through the streets. The festival ends around midnight but some carry on much later.

1073 Kuramahonmachi
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 601-1111 Japan

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Website: Kurama Fire Festival Homepage