A traditional fire festival where blazing torches and mikoshi light up the Kurama night
Kurama Fire Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/22Happening now
- Season / frequency
- Every year October 22 / Every year
- Location
- Yuki Shrine
- Area
- Kyoto Prefecture・Kyoto City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Kurama Fire Festival, held as the annual festival of Yuki Shrine, is a traditional nighttime event in which blazing torches and spirited calls fill the Kurama valley.
About Kurama Fire Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Indiana jo File:鞍馬の火祭4.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: ja:User:Si-take. File:Fire festival of KURAMA Kyoto, Japan.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo by Si-take. & uploaded it to Wikipedia(JA).Display size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Indiana jo File:鞍馬の火祭1.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.The Kurama Fire Festival is a traditional event held every October 22 as the annual festival of Yuki Shrine.
Counted as one of Kyoto’s 3 great unusual festivals, it takes place throughout the settlement around Yuki Shrine and Kurama Kaido.
The flames of the torches and spirited calls fill the Kurama valley, offering a chance to experience sacred rites passed down through the community alongside the nighttime scenery.
Source: 鞍馬の火祭【由岐神社】｜【京都市公式】京都観光Navi
Festival highlights
Highlights include the sight of bonfires at each home and torches being lit one after another as bearers advance amid flying sparks.
Children and young people carrying small torches are followed by young men bearing large torches, who parade through the settlement calling out “Sairei, Sairyo.”
In the latter part of the festival, a procession takes place, with 2 mikoshi carried down the stone steps. Their appearance illuminated by the flames is particularly striking.
Source: 鞍馬の火祭｜そうだ 京都、行こう。
A traditional fire festival where blazing torches and mikoshi light up the Kurama night
What to expect
The festival unfolds at night. At the signal, bonfires at each home are lit, and processions carrying torches make their way through the Kurama settlement.
Young men bearing large torches join children and young people carrying small torches, and head toward Yuki Shrine, their calls echoing through the area.
After that, the Shimen-kiri ceremony and mikoshi procession take place, culminating in 2 mikoshi being carried down the stone steps.
Source: 鞍馬の火祭 | ざ · Kyoto
How to take part
The mikoshi procession and carrying of torches, which are central to the festival, take place as local events in Kurama.
If you attend as a spectator, bear in mind that the event involves fire and follow the event proceedings and access restrictions.
No information is provided about advance registration for general visitors.
The festival takes place throughout the settlement, centered on Yuki Shrine and Kurama Kaido.
If you wish to attend as a spectator, travel to the area by public transport and follow any access restrictions in place on the day and the instructions of event staff.
Source: 鞍馬の火祭 | イベント一覧 | 京都府観光連盟公式サイト
Location and access
- Venue and address
Yuki Shrine (1073 Kuramahonmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture) and the surrounding settlement, centered on Kurama Kaido, which leads to the shrine
- Train and bus
Eizan Railway: 6-minute walk from Kurama Station / Keihan Main Line: take the Eizan Railway from Demachiyanagi Station and get off at Kurama Station / On October 22, 2026, a special direct bus is scheduled to run from Kibuneguchi to Kokusaikaikan subway station (no stops en route; no special buses to the Kurama area)
- By car
On October 22, 2026, general vehicle traffic will be restricted between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen from 3 p.m., and vehicles will not be able to pass
- Parking
On October 22, 2026, all parking lots will be closed, and no parking will be available.
Use public transportation
Source: 「鞍馬の火祭」に伴う臨時バスの運行および52系統･32系統区間運休のお知らせ｜お知らせ｜京都バス株式会社
Address 1073 Kurama Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Dates and season
Scheduled for October 22, 2026 (Thu).
The bonfires are lit at 6 p.m., followed by the lighting of the young children's torches, boys' torches, and young men's torches, and then the procession.
The procession heads toward the gate in front of the temple around 8 p.m., followed by the mikoshi togyo and other events. The program is scheduled to continue until around after midnight.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Kyoto Prefecture / Kyoto City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
As this event involves flying sparks, please follow restrictions on access to sacred areas and passageways so as not to disrupt the festival.
In 2026, vehicle restrictions will begin at 3 p.m. and parking lots will also close, so visitors are advised to use public transportation.
There will be no special buses to the Kurama area. Please also note that special services will not run if the event is scaled back due to severe weather or other circumstances.
Nearby attractions
Kurama-dera Temple is recommended as a place to visit alongside the festival.
Yuki Shrine, the festival venue, is said to be located just before the approach leading to Kurama-dera Temple.
If visiting the area before or after the festival, be mindful of access restrictions within shrine and and of crowd conditions on the day.
Source: 鞍馬の火祭 | 全国観光資源台帳(公財)日本交通公社
京都タワー
京都府京都市下京区にある塔
京都国立博物館
京都市にある国立博物館
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京都市左京区岡崎にある美術館
京都国際マンガミュージアム
日本の京都府京都市中京区にある日本最大の漫画博物館
京都市美術館
京都市左京区岡崎にある美術館
京都府立植物園
京都市左京区にある植物園
京都鉄道博物館
京都府京都市下京区にある鉄道博物館
Fushimi Inari Taisha
京都市伏見区にある神社
元離宮二条城
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京都市東山区にある神社
円山公園
京都市にある公園
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
京都市上京区にある神社
Origins and History of Kurama Fire Festival
It is said to have originated in the legend that, in Tengyo 3 (940), villagers welcomed Yuki Daimyojin with a mikoshi and torches when the deity was enshrined in Kurama from the Imperial Palace.
The reenactment of that transfer of the deity is said to have been passed down to later generations as a fire festival.
Today, the festival rites connected to this legend continue through bonfires, torches, and the mikoshi procession.
Official information
Information on the date, time, venue, access, and traffic restrictions is available on the Kyoto City Tourism Navi, the official Kyoto City tourism website.
You can also find information about the festival’s origins and highlights on the page linking to the Yuki Shrine website.
Before and after the festival, check the latest information, including road closures and restrictions on access, before visiting.
Kurama Fire Festival at a Glance
The Kurama Fire Festival is a traditional event held at Yuki Shrine and in the Kurama settlement, featuring blazing torches, calls, and a mikoshi procession.
In 2026, the festival will begin at 6 p.m. on October 22 (Thursday) and is scheduled to end after midnight.
As roads will be closed to vehicles and parking lots will be closed, planning to travel by public transport from Eizan Railway’s Kurama Station is recommended.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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