murmurWakakusa Yamayaki (Mount Wakakusa Grass Burning)
Nara City · Mount Wakakusa
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Wakakusa Yamayaki Executive Committee · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Jan 24, 2026 （Ended） Fireworks at 18:15, grass burning lit at 18:30
- 2027
- Sat, Jan 23, 2027 Fireworks at 18:15, grass burning lit at 18:30
- Usual timing
- Usually late January
- How the date is set
- The 4th Saturday of January Cancelled in severe weather
- Venue
- Mount Wakakusa
- City
- Nara City, Nara
About
On the fourth Saturday of January, Nara sets the grass of Mt. Wakakusa ablaze to welcome early spring. In the late afternoon a torch procession, sounding conch shells, carries sacred fire from the great Kasuga bonfire at Tobihino to Nogami Shrine at the base of the hill. Fireworks, big shakudama shells among them, start at 18:15, and at 18:30 about 300 members of the Nara City volunteer fire corps light the slope with torches; flames climb until the whole hill burns red. Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji and Todaiji all take part, and the fire is meant to console the spirits of earlier generations and pray for fire safety in Nara and peace in the world. In the daytime there's a deer-cracker throwing contest at the foot of the hill. Viewing areas at the base are paid, nearby roads are closed, and severe weather cancels the event.
Sources
- OfficialWakakusa Yamayaki Executive Committee yamayaki.pref.nara.lg.jp
- OfficialNara Prefecture (Nara Park Office) www3.pref.nara.jp
- OfficialNara City Tourism Association narashikanko.or.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.