murmurNara Tokae (Candlelight Festival)
Nara City · Around Nara Park (Kasugano, Ukigumo, Ukimido, Sarusawa Pond and more)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Nara Tokae Association (NPO) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Aug 5–14, 2026 （Ended） 19:00-21:30
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early August
- How the date is set
- Announced each year
- Venue
- Around Nara Park (Kasugano, Ukigumo, Ukimido, Sarusawa Pond and more)
- City
- Nara City, Nara
About
For about 10 days each summer since 1999, Nara Park is covered in candlelight. Candles are set out across Kasugano and Ukigumo meadows, Asajigahara, the Ukimido pavilion, Sarusawa Pond and the Gojunidan stone steps, Kofukuji, the front of the Nara National Museum and beyond. Venues open on different days, and Todaiji and Kasuga Taisha join only near the end, so check the schedule if you have a particular spot in mind. The name refers to the flower-shaped knob that forms on a burning wick, a sign of good luck, and each candle is lit one by one with a wish for the happiness of whoever comes to see it. It goes ahead in light rain and is run by a nonprofit together with many supporters.
Sources
- OfficialNara Tokae Association (NPO) www.toukae.jp
- Reference燈花会について｜なら燈花会 公式WEBサイト www.toukae.jp
- Referenceエリア情報｜なら燈花会 公式WEBサイト www.toukae.jp
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.