Wakakusa Yamayaki in Nara

Last Updated on January 20, 2025

Event Overview

Held on the 4th Saturday in January each year, this festival sees the grass on Mt. Wakakusa set on fire, in a tradition dating back hundreds of years.

A torch procession and fireworks displays are amongst the key spectacles on display throughout the day.

The Origin Of The Festival

Mt. Wakakusa is home to a keyhole-shaped tomb known as Uguisuzuka Kofun. Legend has it that a malevolent ghost once emerged from this ancient burial mound, terrorizing the local population.

To quell the apparition, villagers discovered that setting the mountain ablaze would banish the specter. Moreover, failing to burn the mountain by January of the following year was believed to bring dire consequences.

This superstition led to the annual practice of setting fire to Mt. Wakakusa, however these frequent fires posed a significant threat to the nearby Todaiji Temple, so in December 1738, the Nara Magistrate’s Office issued a decree prohibiting the arson.

Despite this, the fires continued unabated, with the perpetrators remaining elusive. As the danger of spreading flames to surrounding temples and shrines persisted, the Nara Magistrate’s Office, in conjunction with Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple, eventually intervened, actively participating in the controlled burning of the mountain.

Thus, the origins of this unique tradition can be traced back to a dual purpose: to appease the spirits interred within the Uguisuzuka burial mound and to honor their memory through a symbolic act of remembrance.

Torch Procession

The festival begins with the torch procession led by a conch-playing performance from mountain ascetics from Kinpusen-ji Temple.

A total of about 40 people including officials from Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, and the Nara Magistrate’s Office, all of which have close ties to Mt. Wakakusa, will take part in the procession.

At 16:45 a ceremony is held in which sacred fire is received from the Kasuga shrine.

The procession departs from Tobihino just after 17:00 and carries the sacred flame to Nogami Shrine.

At 17:25 the sacred flame of Kasuga Taisha Shrine is lit in torches at the torch lighting site set up near Mizutani Shrine.

At 17:40 the procession reaches Nogami Shrine at the foot of the mountain, where a bonfire is lit and followed by the prayers for the safety of the mountain during the festival.

The flame is transferred from the bonfire to a torch, where the procession will transport the flame to the large bonfire at the center of the foot of the mountain, which will be lit at 18:15.

Fireworks & Mountain Burning

From 18:15 just fireworks paint the clear winter sky with brilliant light and color, and the spectacular gunfire marks the start of the mountain burning.

The mountain burning begins at 18:30 with around 300 members of the Nara City Fire Department transferring fire from the large bonfire at the center of the foot of the mountain to torches and carrying the fire to the front of Mount Wakakusa.

At the signal of a conch horn and a trumpet, the grassland (around 33 hectares, a circumference of 3,800 meters) is ignited all at once.

Wakakusa-yama is surrounded by World Heritage sites including Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kasugayama Primeval Forest and extreme care is taken to prevent the spread of fire.

The best locations to view the scenes from are the foot of Mt. Wakakusa and Ukigumo Garden in Nara Park.

Venue Information

Location: Various

Dates: 25th January 2025

Opening Times: 12:00 am - 8:00 pm

Entry Cost

Free.

Nearest Station

Kintetsu Nara Station

Nara Line

Kyoto Line