Written by Kylie Van Zyl
Bonfires, torches, shrines, and gods are all out in the streets for this vibrant Kyoto festival.
What happens?
Taking place in Kurama, a small village north of Kyoto proper, the Kurama no Hi Matsuri is a cultural event rather than a big party, but it has energy to spare. It’s in the evening of the same day as another major Kyoto festival, Jidai Matsuri, so you can get a two-for-one measure of Heian Era Japan on your trip.
The Kurama no Hi Matsuri commemorates the day in 940 when the deity Yuki Daimyōjin was moved from the Imperial Palace in Kyoto to Kurama, and Kurama Village held a torchlit parade to welcome the kami (god) to their new home.
Schedule
The matsuri typically starts at about 6 p.m. in the evening, when big kagaribi bonfires are lit along the village streets.
Households display their family heirlooms, and a procession of local children and adults carrying taimatsu (flaming pinewood torches that vary from 5kg to 200kg in weight) snake through the streets and converge on the stone steps below the Sanmon gate of Kurama-dera Temple, home to Yuki-jinja Shrine (a hidden gem in itself). For the finale, the two mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried down the steep approach and steps from the shrine, with local women hauling on ropes to slow their descent, before they parade through the village.
Tips
Admission is free, but get there early: the festival has become popular with tourists in recent years, and both the village and the trains to get there become quite crowded. Eizan Railway usually runs a special festival timetable with boarding restrictions, and transport to Kurama can be halted on police instructions if the village is full, so plan your trip back too. This year, the last train from Kurama to Demachiyanagi leaves at 11:24 p.m., before the festivities wind down around midnight. From 3 p.m. the road between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen is closed to private vehicles and all parking is shut, so come by train. The area above the temple’s Sanmon gate is closed off before the procession. Also, bear in mind that Kurama is a small residential village, so be considerate!
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
