Kasuga Taisha Mantoro Lantern Festival
Three thousand bronze and stone lanterns are lit across ancient Kasuga Taisha, filling the shrine's forest paths with a soft golden glow.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/08/14 10:00 – 2026/08/15
- Where
- Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara（160 Kasugano-cho, Nara City, Nara）
- City
- Nara
- Getting there
- Bus from Kintetsu Nara Stn to Kasuga Taisha Honden
- Price
- Small fee to enter the inner lantern corridors
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Bus from Kintetsu Nara Stn to Kasuga Taisha Honden Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Small fee to enter the inner lantern corridors. Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, date night, families
Highlights
- About 3,000 lanterns lit together at dusk
- Bronze hanging lanterns glowing in the corridors
- Atmospheric paths through Kasuga's sacred forest
Background & story
Held each February (Setsubun) and again in mid-August (Obon), the Mantoro lights the lanterns donated to Kasuga Taisha over its long history as prayers and thanks.
Good to know
The August Obon Mantoro falls on the 14th-15th; the deer of Nara Park roam nearby, so it pairs well with a late-afternoon park stroll.