Kurama Fire Festival - One of Kyoto's Three Most Unusual Festivals

The Kurama Fire Festival, held annually on October 22nd in Kurama, northern Kyoto, is a traditional event with over 1,000 years of history as the annual festival of Yuki Shrine. This festival recreates the "Night of Divine Relocation" when the divine spirit of Yuki Shrine was transferred from the Imperial Palace to Kurama in 940 AD during the Heian period, and is counted among Kyoto's three most unique festivals. The festival begins around 6 PM when kagaribi (bonfire) torches are lit at each house. Children then parade with small torches, followed by young men carrying massive burning torches. The torch bearers march through Kurama Kaido with powerful chants of "Sairei, Sairyo!" as the procession of flames illuminates the mountain village at night. The climax is the mikoshi (portable shrine) procession. Two mikoshi dramatically rush down the steep stone steps of Yuki Shrine, with young men hanging upside down from the front tips. This is called the "Choppen no Gi" ceremony, one of the festival's main highlights that creates a spectacular sight. Women also play an impressive role by pulling ropes to act as brakes and control the speed of the energetic mikoshi. Kurama is located about 30 minutes from central Kyoto by Eizan Electric Railway in a mountainous area surrounded by rich nature. Nearby attractions include Kurama-dera Temple, famous for the Ushiwakamaru legend, and the Kibune area known for kawadoko river dining, making it a region where you can deeply experience Japanese history and culture. The spectacular sight of the valiant festival unfolding amid flying sparks offers a precious experience that feels like time-traveling back to the Heian period a thousand years ago.