Kurama Fire Festival

What Is the Kurama Fire Festival?

October 22nd is the day of the "Kurama Fire Festival," the annual festival of Yuki Shrine in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto. It recreates the scene of 940, when, by order of Emperor Suzaku, the shrine's deity was welcomed from the Imperial Palace to Kurama. It is counted among Kyoto's three most unusual festivals, and together with Jidai Matsuri held the same day, it represents autumn in Kyoto.

A Fire Festival Recalling a Shrine Relocation Over 1,000 Years Ago

The Kurama Fire Festival is a spirited festival of flames that recreates the night the deity was welcomed.

• Origin: The relocation of Yuki Shrine to Kurama in 940 by order of Emperor Suzaku
• Legend: Local people, moved by the sight of reeds from the Kamo River burned as bonfires along the procession route, are said to have started the festival to pass on the scene
• Chant: "Saireiya, sairyo"
• Kyoto's three unusual festivals: Ranked alongside Imamiya Shrine's Yasurai Festival and Koryuji Temple's Ushi Matsuri

Children and Adults Alike Carry Torches Through the Streets

Each year around 6 p.m., bonfires are lit at the signal, and children carry small torches called "tokkuri" while adults shoulder large ones, parading to the chant of "Saireiya, sairyo." As the portable shrine descends the stone steps, young men in loincloths hang from its carrying poles in the "Choppen" ritual, considered a once-in-a-lifetime coming-of-age rite for the men of Kurama.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Feel the power of the flames through photos or videos of the festival
• Look up the features of each of Kyoto's three unusual festivals
• Learn about Kurama's landmarks, such as Kuramadera Temple and Yuki Shrine
• Look into fire festivals or autumn festivals in your own area

Flames Lighting the Dark Keep a Thousand-Year Memory Alive

The Kurama Fire Festival passes on an event from the Heian period through fire and chanting. October 22nd is a day to imagine the energy of a festival handed down for more than a thousand years.