FAQ

The event will go ahead in light rain or light snow. However, it may be canceled if heavy rain, heavy snow, strong winds or similar conditions make it difficult to hold safely, or if administrative guidance or orders such as a forest fire warning are issued.

Whether the event will go ahead will be announced on this website and elsewhere by 10:00 a.m. on the day.
Ticket holders will not be contacted individually, so please be sure to check for yourself.

The grand fireworks begin at 6:15 p.m. (about 15 minutes), followed at 6:30 p.m. by the simultaneous lighting of fires across Mt. Wakakusa.

Just before the mountain is lit (from about 6:15 p.m.), more than 500 fireworks are launched in about 15 minutes. The biggest attractions are the sheer density of fireworks in a short time and the isshakudama shells (rising about 330 m and bursting to about 320 m across) that spread wide across the night sky.

If the event is canceled, it will not be postponed or rescheduled to another date.

The most spectacular time, when the fire spreads rapidly and fiercely, is the roughly 30 minutes after the simultaneous lighting at 6:30 p.m. (until about 7:00 p.m.).
After 30 minutes the fire gradually dies down, and by about an hour after lighting (around 7:30 p.m.) most of it has burned out and can no longer be seen from outside.

If the slopes do not burn sufficiently because of the weather or dryness on the day, the mountain may be burned again for park management purposes, usually during the daytime in early February.

Whether you need a ticket depends on the viewing area.

Paid Viewing Areas (ticket required)

• Foothill Paid Viewing Area (inside the Wakakusa Foothill Gate)
  A standing area where you can feel the power of the grand fireworks and the mountain burning up close.
• Nara Park Bus Terminal Rooftop Area
  An area where you can comfortably enjoy the mountain burning and fireworks away from the crowds.

*Ticket information will be posted in early November.

Free Viewing Areas (no ticket required, free entry)

From the park areas within Nara Park, such as Kasugano Park Area and Ukigumo Park Area, you can watch the whole mountain burning and the grand fireworks for free. At Kasugano Park Area, professional taiko drummers also give a dedication performance to coincide with the burning.

*The free viewing areas are expected to be very crowded on the day. If you want a guaranteed, relaxed view up close, please purchase a ticket for a paid viewing area.

*Ticket information is scheduled to be posted in early November.

*Ticket information is scheduled to be posted in early November.

*Ticket information is scheduled to be posted in early November.

Foothill Paid Viewing Area

Please bring your paper ticket to the reception desk in the main building of Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA. Staff will tear off the stub and exchange it for an entry wristband (show the wristband to come and go freely within the area).
Check-in is from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Bus Terminal Rooftop Area

Please show your paper ticket at the dedicated reception inside Nara Park Bus Terminal.

*Ticket information is scheduled to be posted in early November.

*Ticket information is scheduled to be posted in early November.

Check-in begins at 2:30 p.m. at Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA.
After you exchange your ticket for an entry wristband, entry to the Foothill Area begins at 3:00 p.m.

Entry with e-tickets is not possible.
On the day, mobile reception around the foot of Mt. Wakakusa is expected to be extremely poor due to the large number of visitors. To avoid problems, even if you booked online or by phone, please be sure to print a paper ticket in advance at a convenience store or similar location in Japan and bring it to the venue.

Once you have exchanged your paper ticket for an entry wristband, you may come and go freely within the Foothill Area.

The folding-chair special seats in the Foothill Paid Viewing Area are reserved for tours planned and sold by travel agencies.
For details, please contact the Nara Visitors Bureau (Tel: +81-742-23-8288).

Under no circumstances (loss, fire, damage, forgetting it on the day, etc.) will tickets be reissued or entry be permitted without one. Please keep your ticket safe and be sure to bring it to the venue.
If you forget your ticket on the day, please buy a same-day ticket (these may sell out).

Even if Mt. Wakakusa cannot be lit due to circumstances beyond our control such as bad weather or weather warnings, the event is considered to have taken place if even one grand firework is launched, and paid viewing tickets will not be refunded.

Once your purchase is complete, we cannot accept cancellations, changes of date or ticket type, or refunds for personal reasons.

Because furusato nozei is a donation to a local government, donations cannot be canceled, refunded, exchanged for an alternative gift or carried over to the following year for any reason, including cancellation of the event. Please apply with this understanding.

You can watch the mountain burning from anywhere in Nara City with a view of Mt. Wakakusa, not just from Nara Park. The main areas are as follows.

• Foothill Paid Viewing Area
  Our top recommendation, where you can see the powerful flames and the lighting up close.
• Nara Park Bus Terminal Rooftop Area
  Enjoy the mountain burning and fireworks comfortably, away from the crowds.
• Around Nara Park (Kasugano Park Area, Ukigumo Park Area, etc.)
  Very crowded, but free, with a wide view of the fireworks and the mountain burning.
• Heijo Palace Site
  See the fireworks and the mountain burning beyond Suzakumon Gate.

• 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
  Entry check-in at Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA
  *Check-in is not available after 5:30 p.m. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes on foot from the check-in location to the Foothill Paid Viewing Area.
• From 3:00 p.m.
  Wakakusa Foothill Gate opens
• From 5:00 p.m.
  Fire Corps Departure Ceremony, Sacred Fire Procession & Nogami Shrine Ritual
• From 6:15 p.m.
  Grand Fireworks
• From 6:30 p.m.
  Mt. Wakakusa is lit　
• Around 7:15 p.m.
  End

*The area around the venue becomes very crowded after 5:00 p.m., and access restrictions may be in place, so entry may take time. Please arrive early.

The main schedule for the day is as follows.

• 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  Kasuga Great Tondo Bonfire (Tobihino)
• From 4:45 p.m.
  Sacred Fire Reception Ceremony (Tobihino)　
• From 5:00 p.m.
  Fire Corps Departure Ceremony (foot of Mt. Wakakusa)
• 5:05 p.m.
  Sacred Fire Procession departs (Tobihino – Mizuyabashi Bridge – foot of Mt. Wakakusa)
• From 5:40 p.m.
  Nogami Shrine Ritual (foot of Mt. Wakakusa)
• From 6:15 p.m.
  Grand fireworks
• From 6:30 p.m.
  Simultaneous lighting of Mt. Wakakusa

*The slopes finish burning about 30 minutes to 1 hour after lighting. Times may vary depending on the weather and other conditions.

Foothill Paid Viewing Area tickets sold on this website are for standing room within the Foothill Area.
The area is on a natural slope (grass and soil), and no chairs are provided. For your safety, please wear comfortable shoes such as sneakers and warm clothing.

Please come to the check-in location, Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA, between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
It takes about 15 to 30 minutes on foot from the check-in location to the Foothill Paid Area.

*Check-in is not available after 5:30 p.m.
*It becomes very crowded after 5:00 p.m., and access restrictions may be in place, so entry may take time. Please arrive early.

The Fire Corps Departure Ceremony and Nogami Shrine Ritual begin in the Foothill Paid Area at 5:00 p.m., so we recommend completing check-in at IRAKA by 4:00 p.m.

Spreading picnic sheets and reserving spots with sheets, bags or other belongings are strictly prohibited throughout the venue (in both paid and free viewing areas).
On the night, crowds make it very hard to see where you are stepping. Sitting on sheets or reserving spots can cause people to trip and fall in the dark and can block emergency evacuation routes.

Foothill Paid Viewing Area

This is a standing area on a natural slope. For safety and to prevent falls, picnic sheets may not be spread at all.

Free Viewing Areas (Kasugano Park Area, Ukigumo Park Area, etc.)

Because very large crowds gather, spreading picnic sheets is prohibited in all areas.

Because the Foothill Paid Area is on a steep slope, shooting with freestanding tripods, and bringing or using stepladders, step stools or similar items that block the view of people behind you, are prohibited, except for specially authorized parties such as the press. (Monopods that do not stand on their own may be used.)
In the free viewing areas as well, please be considerate of those around you and follow good manners when taking photos.

For safety reasons, you cannot go up to the summit of Mt. Wakakusa, either on foot or by car. The Nara Okuyama Driveway (Shin-Wakakusayama Course) will be closed from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (*only the Takamadoyama Course will be open as usual).
In addition, all walking trails in the Kasugayama Primeval Forest will be completely closed from noon on the day. For your safety, never enter restricted areas.

If you are going to the Foothill Paid Area, first come to the check-in location, Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes on foot from there to the Foothill Paid Area.

From Kintetsu-Nara Station

Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA is about a 20-minute walk east from Exit 2 of Kintetsu-Nara Station.

From JR Nara Station

It is about a 40-minute walk to Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA.

There is no dedicated parking for the event.
On the day, large-scale traffic restrictions are in place on roads around Nara Park and heavy congestion occurs, so we strongly recommend using public transportation.

Large-scale traffic restrictions are usually in place on roads around Mt. Wakakusa from about 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Right after the grand fireworks end (about 6:30 p.m.), the Foothill Paid Viewing Area and the area around the Daibutsuden-mae intersection become extremely crowded, and it may take about an hour to reach Kintetsu-Nara Station.
We recommend enjoying the mountain burning until about 7:30 p.m. after the fireworks and leaving a little later to avoid the rush.

Once traffic restrictions begin after 3:00 p.m., vehicles may only be able to go as far as the Daibutsuden-mae intersection or Kencho-mae because of congestion and other factors.
We recommend walking from Kintetsu-Nara Station or JR Nara Station.

Because the area around Mt. Wakakusa is extremely crowded, taxis cannot enter until about an hour after lighting (after 7:30 p.m.).
For the trip home, we recommend walking to the nearest bus stop (such as Kencho-mae) or station.

Because of traffic restrictions (about 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.), buses are rerouted from the Kencho-higashi intersection, so the nearest boarding point on your way home will be the Kencho-mae bus stop. Kintetsu-Nara Station is about 400 m (about a 5-minute walk) from Kencho-mae, so if you are using Kintetsu-Nara Station, we recommend walking to the station. For service details, please contact the Nara Kotsu Customer Service Center (+81-742-20-3100).

There is no bicycle parking at Mt. Wakakusa. We recommend using a municipal bicycle parking lot near a station and coming on foot or by bus.

In previous years, extra trains have run from Kintetsu-Nara Station in the latter half of the 7 p.m. hour after the event. However, because very large numbers of passengers use the station on the day, entry to the ticket gates and underground concourse may be restricted for safety.
Please follow staff instructions in the station, and top up your IC card or buy a round-trip ticket in advance.

No temporary toilets are provided for this event. Please use public restrooms.
Foothill Paid Viewing Area ticket holders may also use the restrooms at the check-in location (IRAKA).

On a late-January night, temperatures at the foot of Mt. Wakakusa drop sharply to near freezing. In particular, the Foothill Paid Area is on a natural slope (grass and soil) with no chairs. For your safety, please wear comfortable shoes such as sneakers and dress as warmly as you possibly can, with a thick down jacket, gloves, a scarf and a knit hat.
If rain is expected, please also bring an umbrella or rain gear. *You may watch with an umbrella up.

Closer to Mt. Wakakusa there are many steep slopes, stone paving and stairs, as well as unpaved sections, so we do not recommend entering the Foothill Paid Area.
Please use the Nara Park Bus Terminal Rooftop Area, which has elevators and other accessible facilities.

There is no blanket restriction on strollers, but closer to Mt. Wakakusa there are many steep slopes, stone paving and stairs, as well as unpaved sections, so we do not recommend entering the Foothill Paid Area. We recommend watching from Kasugano Park Area, a free area.

Eating and drinking are allowed at the venue. However, there are no trash bins for the event, so please cooperate with the following points on waste and manners.

Food, Drink & Stalls

You may bring food and drink into the viewing areas and eat and drink there. Stalls are usually set up at the foot of Mt. Wakakusa, along the approach to Todai-ji and in front of the Nara National Museum. There are also restaurants at Nara Park Bus Terminal and elsewhere.

[Important] Waste Disposal

There are no trash bins for Wakakusa Yamayaki at the venue or in Nara Park. Please return containers, disposable chopsticks and other waste from stall purchases to the collection box of the stall where you bought them, or take them home with you.

Mt. Wakakusa and the Nara Park area are a cultural property protection zone and a densely crowded area, and the event involves the use of fire, so flying or bringing drones or other small unmanned aircraft is strictly prohibited under the Civil Aeronautics Act and safety management rules.

Pets are not permitted in the paid viewing area. However, assistance dogs, including guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and hearing dogs, are welcome.
Flying sparks, loud bangs, and crowds during the mountain burning event can create a very dangerous environment for animals. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

On the day, first-aid stations are open at two locations: Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA and the Wakakusa Foothill South Gate. If you feel unwell or are injured, please speak to a nearby staff member or go to a first-aid station.
In an emergency such as loss of consciousness or serious injury, call 119 for an ambulance immediately.

Information desks are set up at Ukigumo Park Area and in the Foothill Paid Viewing Area. Please ask there on the day.

Yes, you may bring and use one. However, for safety and out of consideration for others, please be sure to follow the rules below.

Foothill Paid Viewing Area

Please use chairs mainly on flat ground within the area.

[Caution on Using Chairs on Slopes]
The foot of Mt. Wakakusa includes many natural slopes. Setting up or using a chair on a slope is very dangerous, as it can lead to losing your balance and falling or sliding, or to serious accidents involving others. Please choose flat, stable ground. Also, please do not use chairs in walkways or on evacuation routes, and avoid high-back chairs and similar chairs that significantly block the view of people behind you.

Free Viewing Areas (Kasugano Park Area, Ukigumo Park Area, etc.)

Chairs may be used on the lawns and similar areas in the open spaces. Please do not block paths or walkways, avoid blocking the view of people behind you in crowded spots, and take great care to use them safely.