A fire ritual that carries on the sacred flame of Yasaka Shrine and prays for peace in the New Year
Hakusai Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year January 1 / Every year
- 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Hakusai Festival, held at Yasaka Shrine early on New Year’s Day, is a ritual in which wood shavings mixed with hakusai are lit with the sacred fire to ward off evil spirits and pray for peace throughout the year.
About Hakusai Festival
The Hakusai Festival (Okera-sai) is a ritual held early on New Year’s Day at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City.
The ritual prays for peace throughout the year by lighting wood shavings mixed with hakusai using the sacred fire to ward off evil spirits.
It was once called the “Gion Kezurikake Ritual,” and the festival’s name is said to come from the burning of hakusai roots.
It is also closely connected with Okera Mairi, which takes place from New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day.
Source: 白朮祭 - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
Highlights include the “okera fire” dropped in front of the main hall and the moment when visitors transfer the sacred fire from it to their fire ropes.
As the wood shavings mixed with hakusai burn, they give off a distinctive fragrance, and the fire is believed to ward off evil spirits.
A distinctive feature of the festival is the custom of taking home the fire transferred to a fire rope and using it to light the household altar or to start the fire for ozoni soup.
Source: 八坂神社について｜八坂神社
A fire ritual that carries on the sacred flame of Yasaka Shrine and prays for peace in the New Year
What to expect
During the ritual, fire is taken from the Hakusai flame burning inside the main hall and used to light wood shavings mixed with hakusai.
After warding off evil spirits, the fire is dropped onto the ground in front of the main hall, where visitors can transfer it to a fire rope and take it home.
The fire taken home is used to light the household altar or to start the fire for ozoni soup, while the remaining fire rope is enshrined in the kitchen as a charm against fires.
Location and access
- Address
Kyoto City
Host municipality 京都府京都市
This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.
Dates and season
- Season
Every year January 1
- 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 Kyoto Prefecture / Kyoto City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
As this event involves handling fire, take great care not to let your fire rope come into contact with people or clothing as you move around.
If you are using public transportation, you must extinguish the fire on your fire rope to prevent danger.
Even if you take a fire rope home, handle the fire carefully. If buckets of water or other fire-extinguishing equipment are provided, make use of them.
Nearby attractions
Maruyama Park lies east of Yasaka Shrine and is known as a place to enjoy cherry blossoms and the seasonal scenery of the Higashiyama area.
On the west gate side, Hanamikoji Street in Gion retains its stone-paved-style streetscape and Kyoto atmosphere.
Nearby, Gion Shinbashi is also known for its Shirakawa River and stone-paved scenery.
Source: 八坂神社【白朮祭(をけらさい)】元旦 - 京都観光旅行ガイド
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
京都国立近代美術館
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
京都市にある城郭及び元皇室関連施設
Yasaka Shrine
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 Hakusai Festival
The Hakusai Festival is a ritual that was once called the “Gion Kezurikake Ritual.”
The festival’s name is said to come from the burning of hakusai, the root of the atractylodes plant. Today, wood shavings mixed with hakusai are set alight.
At Yasaka Shrine, the sacred fire is kindled during a flint-lighting ceremony on December 28 and kept burning inside the main hall for use in the Hakusai Festival and the year-end and New Year’s Okera Mairi.
Source: 主な神事・行事｜八坂神社
Official information
Yasaka Shrine’s official event information lists the Hakusai Festival as a New Year’s Day event at 5 a.m. on January 1.
The festival takes place at Yasaka Shrine and is described as a ritual to ward off illness and misfortune and pray for happiness.
The official information also lists the times for the related flint-lighting ceremony on December 28 and the New Year’s Eve festival on December 31.
Hakusai Festival at a Glance
The Hakusai Festival is a fire ritual held at Yasaka Shrine early on New Year’s Day to pray for good health and peace throughout the year.
Fire lit on wood shavings mixed with hakusai is dropped in front of the main hall, where visitors can transfer it to a fire rope and take it home.
For 2026, the event is scheduled for 5 a.m. on January 1. If you are carrying a fire rope, take care when bringing it onto public transportation.
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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