Highlights
- At 6pm the call "Jinji ni mairasshare" sets off the bonfires (eji) stacked outside every house at once
- Young men carry huge blazing torches through the village chanting "Sairei, sairyo"
- Torches crowd the stone steps at the mountain gate before the shimenawa rope is cut
- Two mikoshi descend the steps — with the choppen rite and village women hauling the ropes
Background & story
Traced to 940 (Tengyo 3), when the deity Yuki Daimyojin, until then enshrined in the Imperial Palace, was moved north to Kurama and villagers met the procession with torches (Yuki Shrine; Kyoto City Tourism Association). One of Kyoto's three great unusual festivals.
The Kurama Fire Festival 2026 is on Thursday, October 22, in and around Yuki Shrine and the village street leading to it. Torches are lit at 6pm and the festival runs past midnight. It is free to watch. Go by Eizan Railway — the last train back from Kurama leaves at 23:24 (Yuki Shrine, Kyoto City Tourism Association and Eizan Railway, checked 2026-10-13).
October 22, 2026 at a glance
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Annual rite in Yuki Shrine's main hall |
| around 11:00 | Shrine office opens (no stamps or charms before this) |
| 15:00 | General vehicles barred between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen; all car parks closed |
| around 16:30 | Shrine office due to close; the area in front of the mountain gate becomes a restricted sacred zone and you cannot go beyond the gate |
| 18:00 | The call "Jinji ni mairasshare" — bonfires (eji) outside every house are lit at once. Children with small torches, then young men with huge torches chanting "Sairei, sairyo" |
| later | Torches gather on the steps at the mountain gate; the shimenawa rope is cut. The festival turns from torches to mikoshi, which descend the steps (the choppen rite) and travel to the otabisho, where kagura torches circle the grounds |
| 23:24 | Last Eizan train from Kurama to Demachiyanagi |
| past midnight | Festival ends (Kyoto City Tourism Association) |
| Oct 23, morning | Mikoshi return to the main hall, closing the rites |
Yuki Shrine does not publish clock times for the individual rites after the 6pm lighting.
Getting there and back
- Train: Eizan Railway from Demachiyanagi to Kurama, then about 6 minutes on foot to Yuki Shrine. The line runs a festival timetable on the day, and some trains take longer than usual between Demachiyanagi and Kurama.
- In the crowds: boarding may be restricted, waits can be long, and you may not get on at all. If the venue is too crowded, police can tell the railway to stop festival trains to Kurama (Eizan Railway notice, October 9, 2026).
- By car or taxi: from 3pm general vehicles cannot enter between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen, and all car parks are closed. Public transport is requested.
- Getting back: the 23:24 last train leaves before the festival ends. If you want the finale, plan your return before you go.
Before you go
- Do goshuin stamps and any visit up the mountain in the daytime — access beyond the gate is closed before the festival.
- The 2026 official notices say nothing about rain; check Yuki Shrine's page shortly before.
- Making a day of it in Kyoto? See also the Jidai Matsuri.
Sources (checked 2026-10-13)
- Yuki Shrine, "Kurama no Hi Matsuri" (Japanese): http://www.yukijinjya.jp/about/index.html?id=about05
- Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Kanko Navi), event listing (Japanese): https://ja.kyoto.travel/event/single.php?event_id=4978
- Eizan Railway, festival timetable notice of October 9, 2026 (Japanese): https://eizandensha.co.jp/news/?p=4035
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Eizan Railway from Demachiyanagi to Kurama Station, then about a 6-minute walk to Yuki Shrine (Kyoto City Tourism Association). On the day, general vehicles are barred between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen from 3pm and all car parks are closed. Trains run on a special festival timetable; the last train from Kurama to Demachiyanagi leaves at 23:24 (Eizan Railway, checked 2026-10-13). Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, groups of friends, night owls
Good to know
The last train (23:24 from Kurama) leaves before the festival ends (past midnight), so decide how you are getting back first. In crowds the railway may restrict boarding or make you wait a long time, and on police instruction it can stop festival trains to Kurama altogether (Eizan Railway). For goshuin stamps and charms, visit the shrine office between about 11am and 4:30pm — before the festival, the area in front of the Kurama mountain gate becomes a restricted sacred zone and you cannot go beyond the gate.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Kurama Fire Festival 2026, and what time does it start?
- Thursday, October 22, 2026. The shrine's annual rite is held at 9am; at 6pm the bonfires outside every house are lit at once and the night festival begins, running past midnight. The mikoshi return to the main hall on the morning of October 23 (Yuki Shrine; Kyoto City Tourism Association, checked 2026-10-13).
- Is it free? Do I need tickets or reserved seats?
- Watching is free (JR Central's "Souda Kyoto, Ikou" 2026 listing, checked 2026-10-13). Neither Yuki Shrine nor the Kyoto City Tourism Association lists paid seats or advance booking (checked 2026-10-13). Tour-company viewing packages are separate commercial products.
- How do I get there, and when is the last train back?
- Take the Eizan Railway from Demachiyanagi to Kurama; Yuki Shrine is about a 6-minute walk from the station. On October 22, 2026 the line runs a special festival timetable, and the last train from Kurama to Demachiyanagi leaves at 23:24. Expect boarding restrictions and long waits; if the venue is too crowded, police can instruct the railway to stop festival trains to Kurama (Eizan Railway notice of October 9, 2026, checked 2026-10-13). Latest: https://eizandensha.co.jp/news/?p=4035
- Can I drive? What about parking and road closures?
- No. From 3pm general vehicles are barred between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen, and even if you arrive earlier, every car park is closed for the day — use public transport (organiser's notice on the Kyoto City Tourism Association site, checked 2026-10-13). Whether extra buses run is not stated officially; check Kyoto Bus before you go.
- Can I visit Yuki Shrine or Kurama-dera on the day?
- Yuki Shrine's office opens around 11am after the morning rite and is due to close around 4:30pm, because before the festival the area in front of the Kurama mountain gate becomes a restricted sacred zone and nobody can go beyond the gate (Kyoto City Tourism Association, checked 2026-10-13). Do any temple visit or stamp collecting in the daytime.
- What happens if it rains?
- The 2026 notices from Yuki Shrine and the Kyoto City Tourism Association say nothing about rain (checked 2026-10-13). If the weather turns, check Yuki Shrine's official page: http://www.yukijinjya.jp/about/index.html?id=about05
Getting there
Yuki Shrine, Kurama village — 1073 Kuramahonmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto