the Kurama Hi-matsuri fire festival is this Saturday night. One of Kyoto’s most wildly spectacular festivals, the Kurama townsfolk carry torches ranging from big to huge to immense. This follows the Jidai matsuri the same morning, a more spectator-friendly parade in costumes of Kyoto’s history.
If you are going to either one, go early. for the Jidai festival, I recommend the southern gate of the Imperial Palace, where they exit the palace park grounds and head out onto city streets. If you show up 2 hours to 90 minutes early, you can stake out a spot with the huge gate as your background for photos.
If you go to the Kurama Hi-matsuri, be aware that you and everything you wear/bring will absolutely reek of smoke for days afterward. Even cameras. try to get there by 5 (Eizan train to last station Kurama) so you can get a good look at the constructed torches before it gets dark. Don’t bring small children, it’s too wild and they might get trampled/separated from you. Be aware that the Eizan train is so crowded for this festival that you might have to wait in line to get there, and on the way back you may have to wait 2 hours to get on a train.
0 comments
lazyazian says:
Oct 21, 2005
That looks awfully scary, the fire festival! ohh mee gahh! If I were to wacth the festival, ill rent a pireroof apartment near the festival street with my fireproos window and look down at them. I wanan go to the Jidai festival one, I like hiean style clothing better because its veyr elegant.
Specially the junihitoe 12 layers of kimono with a hakama,tabi scosk, and off course a beauitful princess or girl wearing it. The fire festival people kidna disturbed me, you know what there wearing sicne I keep seeing those weird clothing almost all japanese festivals. I would rather wear a yukata or normal clothing than wear that umm “weird” clothing. Ohh well, japan is both weird and beautiful, form weird festivals like eerrm “groin” festival to a very beautiful gesiha and maiko singing gion matsuri!
Nao says:
Oct 21, 2005
Lovely pictures. What sort of camera setting did you use to take the pictures with the lighted torches?
nils says:
Oct 21, 2005
1/4 @ f2.8 with flash for foreground.
nils says:
Oct 21, 2005
and ISO100
Jay says:
Oct 21, 2005
Very helpful info. Thank you.
-J
Thomas says:
Oct 21, 2005
I loved it 2 years ago, I will be in Kurama this year for sure.
Thomas says:
Oct 23, 2005
It was cold and full !! but great…
Next time, I should go there on the morning, and stay at a good spot.
Roderick Kar says:
Oct 28, 2005
I went to the Jidai Matsuri for the first time last Saturday. It was truly amazing and I enjoyed very much, except for a few on-and-off showers. I couldn’t get a hotel in Kyoto and had to stay at Osaka. So I commuted to Kyoto for 3 days in a role. The city is really beautiful. I have shot 30gb of photos. I have only begun to process the photos. The photos from Jidai are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rodkar/sets/1224808/ . It was the first day I arrived Kyoto and I wasn’t familiar with the streets, so I waited at the Heian Shrine for the procession to come. If I go again next year, I would try to get one of those seats along both sides of the road.