murmurMando Kuyoe (Koyasan Candle Festival)
Koya Town · Okunoin, Mount Koya (from Ichinohashi Bridge to the Lantern Hall)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Kongobu-ji, Head Temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates not confirmed
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year on August 13 Candle lighting 18:00-21:00; memorial service at the Lantern Hall from 20:00. Held in light rain
- Venue
- Okunoin, Mount Koya (from Ichinohashi Bridge to the Lantern Hall)
- City
- Koya Town, Wakayama
About
On the night of August 13, around 100,000 candles line the approach to Okunoin, the inner sanctuary of Mount Koya. Officially called the Mando Kuyoe and popularly the Candle Festival, it is a memorial for visitors' ancestors and for all the souls that rest at Okunoin. Worshippers set candles along the roughly two-kilometer path from Ichinohashi Bridge, and the ribbons of light in the dark have become a summer emblem of Koyasan, serving as a send-off fire for the Obon spirits. Pick up candles for free at the reception tent at Ichinohashi Bridge. Candle lighting runs from 18:00 to 21:00, and the memorial service begins at 20:00 in the Lantern Hall. The event goes ahead in light rain, and public transport is recommended because of traffic.
Sources
- OfficialKongobu-ji, Head Temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism www.koyasan.or.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 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.