Wakakusa Yamayaki

Origin

The grass of Mount Wakakusa is burned off, and the origin is not settled. One account traces it to a boundary dispute between Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji; another to memorial rites for the tomb on the summit. Neither is established. Today it is conducted jointly by Kasuga Taisha, Kōfuku-ji and Tōdai-ji — Shinto and Buddhist together — as a memorial for those who came before, as fire prevention for Nara as a whole, and as a prayer for peace.

What to look for

**The fire is not struck on the spot: it is received from another rite, the great bonfire at Kasuga.** Around three hundred members of the Nara city fire brigade divide the slope between their companies, and at a signal of conch and bugle they light it all at once. Several hundred fireworks go up immediately before, so the two run together. Because the hill stands directly behind the city, it can be seen from anywhere in Nara Park. How it burns depends on how dry the grass is that year.

How to watch

There are paid viewing areas, but the fire is visible from many other points. Deer are throughout the park, so watch your footing and keep your distance once it is dark. The hill itself is closed.

If you go

**It falls on the fourth Saturday of January, so it is always a weekend.** The event runs in the evening and the hill is lit after dark. **In severe weather it is cancelled**, with no second date. Paid viewing areas exist — inside the gate at the foot of the hill and on the roof of the bus terminal — but the fire is visible across Nara Park, so a seat is not required. You will be waiting outdoors on a midwinter evening.

Where

Mount Wakakusa

Nara, Nara

Sources

• Nara Prefecture, official page stating the fourth-Saturday rule
• Nara Prefecture, feature page on how the hill is lit
• Nara City Tourist Association, 2027 edition