A pot-handle shape traced by torches, a summer farewell fire glowing on the mountainside
Nabazuru Manto
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- On the night of August 15, every year during / Every year
- Location
- Mount Manto (Ichikawa district, Shinshiro City)
- Area
- Aichi Prefecture・Shinshiro City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 h · 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This Obon farewell fire is held on Mount Manto in the Ichikawa district of Shinshiro City, where torch flames trace the shape of a pot handle across the summer mountainside.
About Nabazuru Manto
Nabazuru Manto is an Obon farewell fire held on Mount Manto in the Ichikawa district of Shinshiro City.
Large torches are set up on the mountainside and lit all at once, with the flames tracing a shape like a pot handle.
Like Kyoto’s Daimonji bonfire, it has been passed down as an event for sending off the spirits of the dead.
It is also said to have been associated with praying for rain and driving away rice-field pests called planthoppers.
Source: 鍋づる万灯：新城市 / 新城市の地域資源（伝統文化） - 愛知県
Festival highlights
The highlight is the semicircle of flames that appears on the northwest-facing slope of Mount Manto.
The lit torches extend for about 120 meters, tracing a shape reminiscent of a pot handle.
The torches are made using green bamboo and split pine-root wood, creating a distinctive scene in which a local Obon event is intertwined with the mountain landscape.
This event is viewed from a distance, not up close.
Source: 鍋づる万灯（万灯山） | スポット検索 | キラッと奥三河観光ナビ
A pot-handle shape traced by torches, a summer farewell fire glowing on the mountainside
What to expect
For the event, torches and green bamboo prepared by households in the Ichikawa district are carried up the mountain to prepare for lighting.
The torches are made by wrapping split pine-root wood around the tips of green bamboo poles, and are set up on the mountainside.
At night, all the torches are lit at once, and lights in the shape of a pot handle appear on the summer mountainside.
For safety, visitors watch from a distance.
How to take part
Preparations for the event use torches and green bamboo provided by households in the Ichikawa district.
If you visit, do not go close to the site. The roads are narrow and the roads at night are considered dangerous, so watch quietly from a distance.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Mount Manto in the Ichikawa district of Shinshiro City.
The location is the Ichikawa district of Shinshiro City.
- Train and bus
Take the JR Iida Line to Station, then walk 50 minutes (2 km).
- By car
Travel from Hamamatsu-Inasa I.C. via National Route 257, Norimoto Intersection, and Prefectural Route 69 to the Ichikawa district.
A route from Toyokawa I.C. is also provided.
The roads in the Ichikawa district are narrow, so take care when driving at night.
Address Ichikawa district, Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
On the night of August 15, every year during Obon
- Frequency
Every year
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 Aichi Prefecture / Shinshiro City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The roads in the Ichikawa district are narrow, and visitors are advised that the roads are dangerous at night.
When viewing, do not go close to the site. Watch from a distance and avoid crowding together.
There are no toilets at the venue, and it is not accessible for people with disabilities.
Given the mountainous terrain and road conditions at night, it is important to take care of your footing and surroundings when visiting.
Nearby attractions
長篠城
愛知県新城市にあった城
写真：First version: Aboshi at Japanese Wikipedia Second version: Mocchy at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·Origins and History of Nabazuru Manto
Nabazuru Manto is said to be an event for sending off the spirits of the dead during the Obon season.
It is a farewell fire similar in nature to Kyoto’s Daimonji bonfire, with torch flames illuminating a pot-handle shape on the mountainside.
It is also said to have been associated with praying for rain and driving away rice-field pests called planthoppers.
There is limited verifiable information about when the event began or how it has changed over time.
Official information
The contact office is the History and Culture Division of the Shinshiro City Board of Education.
The telephone number is 0536-23-7610, and the fax number is 0536-23-8388.
You can use this to check the latest information, such as the event date and viewing conditions, for this local event held in the Ichikawa district.
Nabazuru Manto at a Glance
Nabazuru Manto is an Obon farewell fire held on Mount Manto in the Ichikawa district of Shinshiro City.
When the torches are lit all at once, a pot-handle shape about 120 meters long appears on the mountainside.
It is also said to have been associated with praying for rain and driving away rice-field pests, and is connected to local life.
The basic rule for viewing is to stay back and watch safely from a distance.
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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