Experiences labelled with 'Yamayaki'
The Yamayaki Festival has a flare for tradition! This fiery rebirth ritual takes place annually on Wakakusa Hill in Nara Park, Japan. Every January during Wakakusa Yamayaki, local monks fulfill a tradition hundreds of years old which involves setting the entire 342-meter-tall Hill ablaze. The origin of Wakakusa Yamayaki dates back to the Kamakura Period, between 1185 and 1333. It is thought this ritual was begun to rid farmland of pests and dead vegetation, and to prepare the earth for new growth in spring. This preparation for new life is a beautiful sight to see, as the flames leap high in the winter night sky. Wakakusa Yamayaki begins at around 5:30 p.m. with purification rituals and sacraments, as well as prayers for safety during the ...
