Events and Festivals

          Event

Location

Watching the First Sunrise of New Year on Mt. Torimiyama
On the early morning of New Year's Day, participants gather at Sumisaka Shrine. After worshipping, they hike up Mt. Torimiyama and watch the sunrise at the mountain top observatory.

Sumisaka Shrine（外部サイトへリンク）

Mt. Torimiyama（外部サイトへリンク）

Cherry Blossom Festival
Cherry blossom festivals are held in some cherry blossom spots during the blooming period.   

Ono-ji Temple

Matabei Zakura

Mikumari Zakura

Sennen-zakura at Butsuryu-ji Temple

Ono-ji Temple（外部サイトへリンク）

Matabei Zakura（外部サイトへリンク）

Mikumari Zakura（外部サイトへリンク）

Butsuryu-ji Temple（外部サイトへリンク）

Rhododendron Festival

Murou-ji is best known for its pale pink rhododendrons that bloom beautifully in the temple grounds.

Murou-ji Temple（外部サイトへリンク）

Rhododendron Festival

Thousands of rhododendrons bloom around the Kompira Shrine and the forest behind. The festival is held during the Golden Week in early May.  

Benzaiten Shakunage-no-Oka Hill（外部サイトへリンク）

Azalea Festival

Torimiyama Park looks amazing filled with vivid azaleas, which attracts many visitors. This festival is held annually to celebrate the beginning of the climbing season, and also to pray for the safety of hikers.

Torimiyama Park（外部サイトへリンク）

Akino Hotaru Noh

Traditional Noh performance is held at the stage located within the shrine. Durind the performances, 'hotaru' (fireflies) are released into the night sky, which is quite a sight.

Aki Shrine（外部サイトへリンク）

Haibara Fireworks Festival
This is one of the biggest fireworks festivals in Nara Prefecture, with about 4200 fireworks launched. As the site is surrounded with mountains, the powerful sound of fireworks echos through the mountains.

Uda River（外部サイトへリンク）

Utano Autumn Festival

This traditional festival has been passed down for more than 1000 years. It features a parade called ‘Owatari’ in which locals walk a long procession from Soja Mikumari Shrine to Udano Mikumari Shrine, carrying a portable shrine on which the goddess from Soja Mikumari Shrine is seated. The goddess can meet her husband god only once a year. The energetic parade of six Taikodai floats is held within the precincts of the shrine, which is quite a sight.   

Udano Mikumari Shrine（外部サイトへリンク）

Haibara Hagiakari

The historic townscape of Haibara, around the former Edo period inn 'Aburaya' as well as the buildings along the Ise-Honkaido Trail, is beautifully lit up with lanterns in the evening.  

Around Haibara Station（外部サイトへリンク）

Kagiroi Viewing

'Kagiroi is a natural phenomenon that looks like a morning glow. It can appear on a cold sunny winter morning one hour before sunrise, only when the weather conditions are just right. A famous Manyoshu poet Kakinomoto-no-Hitomaro is believed to have written a poem about the Kagiroi. This event is held annually on November 17th in the Chinese Calendar. Participants gather around a bonfire and wait for the appearance of  Kagiroi together.

Kagiroi-no-Oka Hill（外部サイトへリンク）

Mt. Yamato-Fuji Climbing
As Mt. Nukai (also known as Yamato-Fuji) is one of the mountains across Japan that has a name 'Fuji', 'Mt.Yamato-Fuji Climbing' is held annually on the nearest Sunday to February 23rd which is celebrated as 'Mt. Fuji Day'. This is an easy mountain to climb with a height of 822 m.   

Mt. Nukai (Yamato-Fuji)（外部サイトへリンク）