bohemianwanderer – In the mountain village of Kurama, just north of Kyoto, embers light up the night sky on October 22 as the Kurama Fire Festival takes center stage. Men dressed in little more than loin ropes and shoulder pads carry massive, flaming taimatsu (pine wood torches) through the streets, their weight ranging from 30 to 100 kilograms. The air fills with the scent of burning pine, and chants of “Saireya, sairyō!” echo as both a boast of the festival’s grandeur and an invitation for the kami (gods) to join.
Unlike Kyoto’s more formal Gion and Jidai festivals, the Kurama Fire Festival exudes an untamed spirit of Shintoism. Despite drawing a crowd of 10,000, the festival retains its small-town charm and authenticity, with families, locals, and children all playing integral roles in the celebration.
Kurama, a village of just 400 residents, sits nestled between a steep mountain temple complex and a winding river. As night falls, families light watchfires outside their homes, marking the start of the festivities. Children as young as four carry smaller 30-kilogram torches, assisted by their fathers, while men bear larger 80- and 100-kilogram taimatsu. Flaming embers scatter along the streets as the procession marches toward Kurama Temple.
By 8 p.m., the torches gather near the temple, creating a mesmerizing sea of flames. Celebrants hoist the mikoshi (portable shrine) from Yuki Shrine and parade it through the village, chanting in unison. Amid the fiery spectacle, participants focus on honoring the return of the gods, embodying the festival’s spiritual essence.
A Thousand-Year-Old Tradition Rooted in Tragedy and Myth
Like many of Japan’s iconic matsuri, the Kurama Fire Festival traces its origins to a tragic event. In the year 940, a devastating earthquake struck Heian-kyo (modern-day Kyoto), prompting Emperor Suzaku to seek protection for the city. Guided by geomancy beliefs of the era, which held that misfortune and evil spirits emanated from the north, the emperor ventured into the mountains north of Kyoto. There, he enshrined Yuki-Myojin, two protective deities, at a shrine in the village of Kurama. The kami were believed to shield the imperial capital from their new mountain sanctuary.
During the transfer of the portable shrine from Kyoto to Kurama, villagers celebrated by lighting torches along the procession route. Over a millennium later, this practice lives on in the fiery spectacle of the Kurama Fire Festival.
Mount Kurama, the festival’s backdrop, remains a hub of Japanese spirituality. While it houses kami, it is also home to the tengu, red-faced, long-nosed supernatural beings. These tengu, known for their mastery of martial arts and sorcery, are said to inhabit the deep forests and mountains. Often viewed as mischievous, tengu are known for playing tricks on arrogant Buddhist monks. Legends warn that particularly corrupt monks might even reincarnate as tengu.
Visitors arriving at Kurama Station are greeted by a massive statue of a red-faced tengu, paying homage to Sojobo, the mythical tengu king. Sojobo, according to legend, trained the young samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune in swordsmanship and magical arts while Yoshitsune lived in Kurama as a boy.
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Navigating Kurama Fire Festival: Travel Challenges and Crowd Control
Reaching Kurama is usually simple on most days of the year, but attending the Fire Festival on October 22 presents unique challenges.
The majority of visitors, including tourists, rely on the Eizan Railway to travel from Kyoto to Kurama. However, the train line only has two cars, which quickly fill to capacity on the night of the festival. The overwhelming demand leads to long wait times, often extending into hours. In some cases, the station stops selling tickets to prevent overcrowding.
For those looking for alternatives, nearby Kibune offers another option, as it’s only one train stop from Kurama. However, even from Kibune, the trains remain packed. One visitor reported waiting 40 minutes for a train before deciding to walk instead.
Upon arriving in Kurama, prefectural police enforce strict crowd control measures to manage the influx of visitors. Festival-goers are guided along a one-way path down the main village road. Turning back or deviating from the designated path is prohibited, as torch-bearers parade through the center of the street.
Despite these measures, many foreign tourists ignored police instructions, even when officers attempted to provide directions in English. This disregard raises concerns about safety and has led to discussions about implementing stricter crowd control methods in future festivals.
