Kurama Fire Festival — photo by Si-take. via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Kurama Fire Festival Finished

Name: Kurama Fire Festival 2026
Start: 2026-10-22T18:00:00+09:00
End: 2026-10-22
Location: Yuki Shrine and the village of Kurama

鞍馬の火祭 — Kyoto (Kansai)

Last updated: Wed, October 21, 2026

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Dates: Thu, October 22, 2026 (The 2026 edition has concluded — 2027 dates are not yet announced)
Time: 6:00 PM
Venue: Yuki Shrine and the village of Kurama (由岐神社・鞍馬街道)
Tickets: Free to watch.
Bad weather: Held rain or shine.
Official site: ja.kyoto.travel

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On the night of October 22, the mountain village of Kurama north of Kyoto fills with fire: villagers carry huge pine torches through the narrow street to Yuki Shrine, chanting "Sairei, sairyo", until the whole village glows. It is one of Kyoto's three great unusual festivals and counted among Japan's great fire festivals.

Planning for 2027

The 2026 edition of Kurama Fire Festival was held on Thu, Oct 22. It is usually held between Oct 22 and Oct 22, so that is the part of the calendar to keep free for 2027. The organiser sets each year's date itself, so treat that as a planning window and confirm it before you book anything fixed.

The 2027 date has not been published yet. This page is updated once the organiser publishes it, so it is worth a look again before you book anything non-refundable.

Background

The festival is said to date back to 940, when the deity of Yuki Shrine was moved from the Imperial Palace to Kurama and villagers welcomed it with countless torches. It is the shrine's annual festival and is held on October 22 whatever the weather.

In pictures

On the afternoon of October 22: pine torches and a tall stack of firewood bound with a sacred rope, ready for the night (2016).
Kurama Fire Festival — photo by Indiana jo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A big torch waiting outside a village house, with the room behind opened up and decorated with a folding screen (2016).
Kurama Fire Festival — photo by Indiana jo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting there

Kurama Station on the Eizan Railway is about 6 min walk from Yuki Shrine. From 3:00 PM on the day, the road between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen is closed to general traffic and all car parks close — come by train.

Tips

It runs from 6:00 PM until after midnight on October 22, 2026 (a Thursday), rain or shine.
How the night unfolds (Yuki Shrine): at 6:00 PM the call "Jinji ni mairasshare" goes out and the bonfires stacked in front of every house are lit. Children walk first with small torches, then young men join with huge blazing ones, chanting "Sairei, sairyo".
The high point is at the stone steps below Kurama-dera's main gate, where the torch-bearers crowd in with their torches upright. After a drum signal the sacred rope is cut, and the two portable shrines are carried down the steps, steadied by women of the village pulling on ropes.
The festival then moves to the shrine's resting place (otabisho) in the village, where four large torches are carried around to close the night.
Eizan Railway runs a special "Hi-matsuri" timetable on October 22, 2026. The last train from Kurama to Demachiyanagi leaves at 11:24 PM, before the festival ends, so plan to leave in time.
Expect boarding limits and long waits, and you may not get on at all. If the police ask, Eizan Railway stops carrying passengers to Kurama for the festival.
The whole village street becomes the festival ground and viewing areas are controlled on the night; expect to be directed where to stand.
Before the festival, the area above Kurama-dera's main gate is closed off, and the shrine's amulet office closes around 4:30 PM. It reopens around 11:00 AM the next day, after the annual rites.

Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Wed, October 21, 2026