NARA EVENTS
✤ NARA TO-KAE LANTERN FESTIVAL AUGUST 5-14, 2023
The Nara Tokae takes place from the 5th to the 14th of August in Nara Park. Tōdai-ji Temple, the Kōfuku-ji Temple, the Sarusawa Pond, the Nara National Museum and the Nara Prefectural Office are also lit up or have their own lantern displays and events. Participation is a part of the Tokae and it’s facilitated via Ikyaku Ittou, one person, one light. All guests are invited to light their own lantern, place it on the festival grounds and cast a wish upon that lantern. The word, toka in Tokae means light flower because the shape of the hollow around the burning wick and a candle’s melted remains are said to resemble a flower. The more that the hollow and melted remains resemble a flower the luckier the lantern is and the more likely the lighter’s wish is to be granted.
✤ SHUNI-E CEREMONY (OMIZuTORI) MARCH 1-14, 2023
Omizutori is the commonly used name for the Shuni-e ceremony which is a series of events held annually from March 1 to 14 at Tōdai-ji Temple. This collection of Buddhist repentance rituals and prayers for people’s happiness has been held every year for over 1270 years, making it one of the oldest recurring Buddhist events in Japan. Shuni-e is performed at Nigatsudo Hall, a sub-complex of Tōdai-ji, which is close to the temple's main hall on the slope of a hill. In the night from March 12 to March 13, between around 1:30 am and 2:30 am, priests descend repeatedly from the Nigatsudo by torchlight to draw water from a well at the base of the temple hall. The well's water is said to have restorative powers and will be dedicated to the main image of Nigatsudo, Eleven-faced Kannon Bosatsu. Following the water drawing event, the mysterious Dattan ceremony is performed in the building where conch horns are blown, bells are rung and priests swing burning torches. The event comes to an end around 3:30 am.
✤ YOSHINOgAWA FESTIVAL AND FIREWORKS AUGUST 1 – 31, 2023
This is a seasonal summer event which is held in Gojo city where the Father of Fireworks of Japan, Kagiya Yahei, hails from. This fireworks festival is considered to display advanced-tech fireworks and takes place on the banks of the Yoshino River, where Yahei first started making fireworks. The fireworks and laser lights set to music that brightens the night sky is a must-see sight. This is Nara Prefecture’s most popular fireworks festival with around 100 food stalls and over 4,000 fireworks. It's the biggest local event of the year. The riverside is decorated with paper lanterns and many people dress in cotton yukata, adding to the atmosphere. The fireworks start at 8 pm and attract around 80,000 people.
✤ MOUNT WAKAKUSA YAMAYAKI – JANUARY 27,2024
The Wakakusa Yamayaki is an annual festival during which the grass on the hillside of Nara's Mount Wakakusayama is set on fire. The mountain is located at the eastern end of Nara Park, and when it is set alight it can be seen throughout the city. The burning of the mountain is preceded by a fireworks display. The festival takes place on the fourth Saturday of every January but can be cancelled or postponed if the weather is bad. Tōdai-ji Temple, the Kōfuku-ji Temple, and the Kasuga Taisha Shrine are all involved with the ceremonies of the festival. The Wakakusa Yamayaki has been taking place for several centuries. Some believe that the burning of the mountainside began during boundary conflicts between Nara's great temples, while others claim the fires were used to drive away wild boars.