Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto (Yuki Shrine)
On October 22, the mountain village of Kurama in northern Kyoto is engulfed in flames. The Kurama Fire Festival (Kurama no Himatsuri) is one of Kyoto’s three great eccentric festivals, held every year at Yuki Shrine. What looks like a breathtaking spectacle to visitors is in fact a religious ritual with over a thousand years of history, where fire serves as the light to welcome the gods.
History and Origins of Kurama Fire Festival
The origin dates back to the year 940 (Tengyō 3). When the deity Yuki Daimyōjin was transferred from the Imperial Palace to Kurama under the order of Emperor Suzaku, villagers welcomed the god with countless torches. Since then, the fire festival has been handed down through generations. In 1983 it was designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kyoto City.
Highlights of Kurama Fire Festival
Eji (bonfires): At 6 p.m., the shout “Shinji ni mairassha-re” (“Come to the ritual!”) signals the ignition of bonfires piled in front of each house. Children carry small torches, followed by youths with massive ones, marching with the chant “Saireiya, Sairyo.”
Photo:TATSUYA
Sea of flames at Kurama Temple gate: Around 8 p.m., giant torches crowd the stone steps in front of the temple gate, creating a wall of fire.
Shimenawa-cutting ritual: With drum beats, the sacred rope (shimenawa) marking the holy area is cut, and the focus shifts from torches to portable shrines.
Mikoshi procession: Portable shrines (mikoshi) are carried down steep slopes. Women pull ropes attached to the mikoshi, believed to ensure safe childbirth. A rare feature is that samurai warriors ride on top of the shrines.
Choppen Ceremony: Young men, wearing only loincloths, hang upside-down in a 大-shaped pose from the shrine’s carrying poles. This is a remnant of Kurama’s traditional coming-of-age ritual.
Kagura torches: At the Otabisho (temporary shrine), four large torches circle the grounds to close the ceremony.
Points for Visitors to Kurama Fire Festival
・The village is small, and space for spectators is strictly limited. Stopping in front of the temple gate is prohibited.
・The only access on the day is the Eizan Electric Railway Kurama Line. Trains are just two cars and often extremely crowded. Tickets for Kurama-bound trains stop being sold once capacity is reached.
・The last special return train usually departs Kurama around midnight.
・All festival items—drums, torches, mikoshi—are considered sacred. Visitors must not touch them.
・Photography is difficult because of the darkness; only the flames stand out clearly at night.
Date of Kurama Fire Festival 2025
October 22, 2025 (Wednesday) – from around 6:00 p.m. until late at night
Location of Kurama Fire Festival (Yuki Shrine)
Address: 1073 Kurama-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 601-1111, Japan
Shrine: Yuki Shrine (Yukijinja)
Tel: +81-75-741-1670
Official site: Yuki Shrine
Access to Kurama Fire Festival
By Train/Bus
- From Kyoto Station: JR Nara Line → Tofukuji → Keihan Main Line to Demachiyanagi (about 15 min) → Eizan Kurama Line to Kurama Station (about 30 min)
- From Kyoto Station: Subway Karasuma Line to Kokusaikaikan (about 20 min) → Kyoto Bus to Kurama (about 20 min)
By Car
- From Osaka: Meishin Expressway Kyoto-Minami IC → Horikawa Street → Kurama (about 50 min)
- From Nagoya: Meishin Expressway Kyoto-Higashi IC → Shirakawa Street → Kurama (about 50 min)
No parking at the shrine. Use private parking lots around Kurama Station.
Which festival will you go to next?
Editor and writer from Japan. Not the best at English, but I share real stories with heart and honesty — aiming to connect cultures and ideas that matter.
