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Kyoto Shimbun 2002.10.22 News
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Countless torches in razing flames Valiant chants echo at Kurama Fire Festival
Kurama Fire Festival, which is known as it "scorches the night sky with the valiant flame", was held in the night of October 22th on the vicinity of Yukijinja-shrine in Kurama area, Sakyoku-district of Kyoto city. Visitors were intoxicated with the blazing flames and the epic chants accompanied, "Sairei, Sairyo!" The festival is said to originate from the historical event where villagers welcomed a deity enshrined in the Imperial Palace to Kurama with torches in the Heian period. At 6pm when the village was covered by the dusk, houses on Kuramakaido-street put fire on the torches. Children with small torches started marching, then men in shouldered a big torch, 5 meters in length and 100 kilometers in weight. At 9pm, as small and large torches gathered one by one in front of Sanmon-gate of Kuramadera-temple, the festival reached its climax. The festival charmed about 12000 visitors until dawn. | ||
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Movie (2002.10.22)