Instead of just setting off fireworks to celebrate the festival, the people of Nara city have a more unique way of organizing by burning down an entire mountain.
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| Nara is a city in Nara Prefecture, Japan, and was the capital of the cherry blossom country until 784. This place is loved by tourists for its traditional values imbued with the colors of time and many unique cultural and artistic festivals. One of them is the Wakakusa Mountain Burning Festival. Photo: Jessica. |
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| Wakakusa, a 350-meter-high, extinct volcano, lies behind Nara Park. From the top of the mountain, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the city. Photo: Jessica. |
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| Wakakusa is originally covered with grass, and cherry blossoms bloom on both sides of the mountain in early April. However, when winter comes, the grass turns yellow and the cherry blossoms lose their leaves, making the mountain bare and gloomy. This is also the time when the famous Wakakusa Yamayaki festival begins. Photo: Flickr. |
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| The Wakakusa Yamayaki Festival is held on the fourth Saturday of January. The origins of the festival are still unclear, but many believe that it originated from a dispute between the Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji temples in 1760 over the ownership of Mount Wakakusa. After failing to reach a compromise, they decided to burn the mountain to resolve the conflict. However, according to another legend, the reason for burning the mountain is said to be to drive away wild boars, preventing them from attacking people. Photo: Nagoya Taro. |
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| Today, the festival is jointly held by three temples: Todaiji, Kofukuji, and Kasuga. It begins with a torch lighting ceremony at Kasuga Shrine. The flame is then carried to the foot of Mount Wakakusa, where pyres are set up. Photo: Iris. |
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| At exactly 6 p.m., the festival opened with a brilliant fireworks display and when it ended, the “mountain burning” ritual began. Photo: Iris. |
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| The burning process can last from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how dry the grass is. Photo: Iris. |
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| Visitors can see this spectacular mountain burning at any point in Nara. Photo: Rocky. |
According to VNE
