A complete guide to the Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin.
Overview
The Kurama Fire Festival is arguably one of the coolest festivals in the entire country. For one night, the humble mountain town of Kurama turns into a celebration of fire as massive flaming torches are paraded through the streets while hot embers fall on the brave men who carry them. It's an incredible spectacle and the atmosphere is truly remarkable.
The Kurama Fire Festival, also known as the Kurama Hi Matsuri, is a re-enactment of a ceremony that occurred 1000 years ago, to protect Kyoto from natural disasters after a massive earthquake struck in 940.
The festival occurs on the 22nd of October every year. At 6pm, right after sunset, while the torches are prepared, bonfires are lit in front of people's homes and family heirlooms are put on display. Then the parading of the torches begins, starting with children, then teenagers, and finally the adults. The torches, known as taimatsu, weigh up to 80kg and can reach up to 4 meters in length. Throughout the festival, you'll hear exclamations of "saireiya, sairyo!" which translates to "festival, good festival" - which is intended to wish everyone a good festival, much like "Happy New Year".
The festival continues all the way into midnight, but most of the festivities wind up by around 11pm. Kurama is a very small town with less than a few hundred people, and this festival receives over 10,000 visitors in one night. As such, it's best to arrive early and prepare yourself for large crowds.
Table of Contents
Location & Access
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin.
Kurama is located only 30 minutes by train from Demachiyanagi Station in Kyoto. The trains will be packed and you may need to wait in line to board the next train. The last train back to Kyoto departs at 11pm, so plan accordingly.
To control the crowd, people are instructed to move in one continuous direction that loops around the town and through the streets, so you can expect to do a lot of walking. This might sound frustrating, but it's considered the most efficient way to prevent bottlenecks and reduce human traffic jams.
🕗 Festival Hours
6pm - 11pm. (Last train at 11pm)
📍 Location
Kurama, Kyoto. (Google Maps)
💴 Price
Free
Train ticket ¥500 one-way
Don't like the crowds?
The nature of this festival requires your patience, just move with the crowd, take the photos that you can, and then continue moving and eventually loop back around. The festival goes for many hours so there is no rush. There will be many opportunities for amazing photos throughout the night, and our behaviour as people is what determines the experience, if everyone is polite and respectful then a crowded atmosphere will not be stressful. Especially as foreign visitors, we need to be extra conscious of our behaviour, and be mindful to ensure we're polite, humble, and respectful. Foreign visitors are gaining a bad reputation in Japan, so a little extra care is needed when we find ourselves in situations we don't agree with, such as a super crowded festival - our behaviour is more important than our photos ;)
Interesting Facts & History
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin.
The original fire cermony was conducted in 940 to honour the kami (god) in order to protect Kyoto after a series of natural disasters struck the capital.
The local men who carry the torches wear traditional clothing that includes warrior’s sandals, a loincloth, a skirt made of braided rope, an armguard with colorful patterned fabric, and a padded cloth slung over one shoulder.
The torches, known as taimatsu, weigh up to 80kg and can reach up to 4 meters in length.
It's considered a right of passage for the local youth who partake in the festival by carrying smaller torches through the village.
Nearby Attractions
A winter hike up to the Kurama-dera temple. Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin.
Kurama is a beautiful place to visit throughout the year. It's most well-known for the Kurama to Kibune hike, and the Kurama-dera temple that sits on top of the mountain above the town. In summer, the neighbouring town of Kibune becomes a popular retreat as the restaurants setup platforms on the river for people to enjoy their lunch while feeling the cool breeze of flowing water.
You can read a description of the hike here: The Kurama to Kibune Hike
