Traditionally, August sees Obon celebrations across Japan. And, with August being one of the hottest months, you may want to lie low indoors somewhere, until the evening draws near. Not surprisingly, most of the best things to do in Nara this month are around the evening of the 15, marking the end of the Obon festivities. The Nara Tokae light-up, however, runs from August 5 to 14, but you may need to choose which August 15 Obon event is the one for you. There are a number of serene events in and around Todai-ji Temple, but if you get outside the city, there are more boisterous festivities in Kashihara and Gojo cities. Find out what they are!
Nara Tokae 2024 Lantern Festival
Nara Tokae is the event the kicks off the month of August. This evening light-up starts from August 5 and runs for 10 days through to August 14, just before the culmination of Obon on the 15th. Tokae (燈花会) means a gathering of light flowers, meaning a candle festival, named after how the finished wax of a candle resembles a flower.
Lantern cups, with vegetable oil candles, are placed around various locations, some creating intricate shapes and patterns. Key locations include areas around Sarusawa Pond, Ukimido Lake, Kasugataisha Shrine, and especially Nara Park and Todai-ji Temple. A donation of 500 yen is requested to help finance the event for the following year. You can also view event details on the Tokae Facebook page.
Date: Aug 5 to 14
Time: 19:00 to 21:30
Location: Various key spots
Fee: 500 yen donation
Cleaning of the Great Buddha (Ominugui)
In preparation for the key festivities of Obon, a unique event can be witnessed inside Todai-ji Temple. Known as ‘Ominugui’, 120 monks operating a series of ropes and pulleys, do an annual cleaning of Nara’s Great Buddha or ‘Daibutsu’. Visitors and spectators can enter the Great Buddha Hall from 07:30 onwards until around 09:30.
Date: August 7th
Time: 07:30 to 09:30
Place: Todai-ji Temple Great Budha Hall
Entry: 800 yen
Free Night Entry to Todai-ji Temple - Aug 13/14
The usual fee to enter Todai-ji Temple is 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for teenagers, and 200 yen for children. From April to October, the opening times are 07:00 to 17:30. However, for two days on August 13 and 14th, you can enter Todai-ji for free for their special Obon night services. The temple will close as scheduled at 17:30 and then re-open at 19:00.
Date: Aug 13/14
Time: 19:00 to 21:00
Location: Todai-ji Temple
Fee: None
Todai-ji Manto-Kuyo-e - Aug 15
On August 15th, or the culmination of Obon, Todai-ji’s special event is the Manto-kuyo-e, a memorial service for the ancestors held in the Great Buddha Hall. Around 2,500 lanterns will be lit and placed in front of the Great Buddha Hall. Even if you don’t go inside, you can marvel at the impressive sight of the illuminated face of the Great Buddha gazing out the window above the entrance.
Date: August 15
Time: 19:00 to 21:30
Location: Great Buddha Hall, Todai-ji Temple
Fee: 800 yen
Kasugataisha Chugen Mantoro Festival - Aug 14/15
The Chugen Mantoro, or the Mid-Summer Light-up, happens in and around the grounds of the Kasuga Grand Shrine. There are about 3,000 lanterns lighting up the paths around the shrine. If you go inside the main precinct, on the first night is a courtly ‘bugaku’ dance and on the second is a Shinto theatrical dance called ‘kagura’, both performed in the main hall.
Although the Chugen Mantoro can be seen as part of the Nara Tokae, it is a separate event. The Nara Tokae only dates from 1999, but the Kasuga Chugen Mantoro has a history of over 800 years!
Date: Aug 14/15
Time: 19:30 to 21:00
Location: Kasugataisha Shrine
Fee: 500 yen
Nara Daimonji Okuribi - Aug 15
When people think of Daimonji, they usually think of Kyoto. However, Nara has its own Daimon-ji on Mt. Takamodo. On ‘Okuri-bi’, or the last day of Obon, the ancestral spirits are bid farewell. A big “大” kanji, meaning great or ‘dai’, will be lit at 20:00. Any city vantage point of the mountain will do, unless you want to get closer. Mount Takamado is situated to the east side of the city, more or less above Byakugo-ji Temple.
Date: Aug 15
Time: Memorial Service: 18:50 | Mountain Burning: 20:00
Location: Mt. Takamado
Kashihara Horanya Fire Festival - Aug 15
For an Obon festival with a little more flare and lots more fire, try the Horanya Fire Festival in Kashihara! This festival is centered around the Hachiman-jinja and Kasuga-jinja Shrines in Higashibojo Town. In the evening, six hamlets around the town parade giant torches between the two shrines, some measuring 4 meters high, 2 meters across, and weighing some 500 kilograms. Festivities start in the daytime from 12:30 at the Kasuga-jinja Shrine and 15:20 at the Hachiman-jinja Shrine.
Date: Aug 15
Time: 12:30 ~
Location: Higashibojo-cho, Kashihara
Transport: 4-min-walk from Kintetsu Bojo Station; change trains to the Kintetsu Minami Osaka Line at Kashihara Jingu-mae.
Yoshino River Fireworks Festival - Aug 15
July and August are when huge fireworks happen all around Kansai and other parts of Japan. If you want to finish off a day of sightseeing with a big bang, then head off to Nara’s historic Gojo City. Along the banks of the pristine Yoshino River, you can watch some 6,000 fireworks going off. There are also around 100 food stalls to browse, and the riverside will be decorated with paper lanterns.
From JR Gojo Station, you head due south to the riverside. Just follow the crowds, and there are many things to do in Gojo if you want to make a day of it.
Date: Aug 15
Time: 20:00 to 21:00
Location: Yoshino River, Gojo City
Fee: None
Dorogawa Gyoja Festival - Aug 03
If are thinking of or planning a visit to Dorogawa Onsen, then at the start of August you can catch the Dorogawa Gyoja Festival. The festival is related to Shugendo or aesthetic practices. Masked clowns and ogres parade through the main town, adding to the summer vibe. The festival celebrates when the aesthetic En no Gyoja, the founder of Mount Omine, was welcomed back by Dorogawa villagers after his return from exile.
Date: Aug 3
Time: 10:00 to 22:00 | Fireworks: 21:00
Location: Dorogawa Onsen, Tenkawa Village
Transport: Even if you don’t have a car, you will need to make Dorogawa a day trip or a stay over if you have booked in advance. Kintetsu railway has a special Dorogawa Onsen 1-day ticket and the price varies according to where you get on.
Totsukawa Village's Big Dance and Drum Festivals
Totsukawa Village is pretty remote, but a great choice for getting out into nature. Things to do include hiking a part of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Road, breezing through the Dorokyo Gorge, relaxing in hot springs baths, or taking in stupendous views from suspension bridges.
Their Summer Obon Festival is held on August 20 featuring the ‘Big Totsukawa Dance’, an intangible Folk Cultural Property. There are also food stalls, other summer festivities, and fireworks at the end of the day.
On August 4, also in Totsukawa Village, you can witness Taiko drumming across the length of the 54-meter-high Tanize Suspension Bridge. The drummers put on quite a show and the valley reverberates with the beating of the drums.
Totsukawa Village is technically Japan's largest village and it is stunningly beautiful. The following video capture large swaths of the village from an arial view point and clearly shows the stunning natural landscape that serves as the backdrop to the village.
Gango-ji Temple Jizo Light Up
Ganjo-ji Temple is one of Nara’s oldest and most historic temples, situated in the old Nara Machi district. They also have a special light-up event, the Jizo Mantō-kuyō-e, but at the end of the August on the 23rd and 24th. You can offer oil lamps to the Jizo Buddha who is a protector of children, women, and travelers. You can see the details on the Gangoji website.
Date: Aug 23/24
Time: 17:00 to 21:00
Location: 11 Chuin-cho, Nara City
Fee: None
‘Nara for Culture’ Music Event in August
The Nara for Culture (Japanese) arts promotional festival started in May and runs into the end of December. You can use Google Translate to browse the website and book tickets online, although non-concert hall events generally don’t require booking. This month, there are many events at the Nara Blue Note Jazz Bar. In Ikaruga, near to JR Horyu-ji Station, you can see young, aspiring classical musicians performing the 11th Aoniyoshi Music Competition Nara 2024 Preliminary Rounds.
Things To Do In Nara
Author: NARA Visitor Center & Inn
Comments