From early in the morning, some 200 people dust the 15-meter tall statue of “Daibutsu”, the Great Buddha. This is a once-a-year event to clean the Daibutsu and is known as “Omi-nugui”. Although the dusting ritual is carried out from 7:00 to 9:30 in the morning, it opens to the public from 7:30. A good opportunity to see a rare event.
Time: 7:00-9:30 (opens to visitors from 7:30) Saturday, August 7, 2010
Place: Todaiji Temple（Zoshi-cho, Nara City）
Contact: 0742-22-5511
Access: Take a bus (Nara Kotsu Bus Lines) at Kintetsu Nara Station and get off at Daibutsuden Kasuga Taisha Mae. A 5-minute walk from the bus stop.
About 4,000 candles light up the streets of Yoshinoyama Mountainous Area, part of a World Heritage Site. The midsummer nights of Yoshino are illuminated with countless candles, creating a lively and fantastic atmosphere.
Time: 19:00 - 21:30 August 13 (Friday) – 15 (Sunday), 2010
Place: Streets in the whole Yoshinoyama Mountainous Area
Contact: 0746-32-1007 (Mt. Yoshino Tourist Association)
Access: Take a ropeway from Kintetsu Yoshino Station. About a ten-minute walk from the ropeway station.
The annual summer festival counts its 15th year. Among the variety of events and performances, fireworks prove the most popular. Commemorating the 1300th Anniversary of Nara Heijo-kyo Capital, a larger number of fireworks will be prepared this year.
Time: 20:00 – 21:00 Saturday, August 14, 2010
Place: “Rojin Fukushi Center” (Senior citizens welfare center) of Soni Village
Contact: 0745-96-2888 Soni Village summer festival planning committee (Soni Village Tourism Association)
Access: Take a bus (Nara Kotsu Bus Lines) from Haibara Station (Kintetsu Osaka Line) and get off at Soni-mura Yakuba Mae. About a 5-minute walk from the bus stop.
This fire festival is performed with prayers for the souls of those who sacrificed their lives in wars as well as for world peace. This is one of the most famous summer events in Nara. A huge Chinese Character “大” (dai) produced by fire blazes on a mountain. The size of the character appearing on the mountain is one of the largest in Japan.
The fire is lit at 8:00pm and can be seen from various spots around Nara City.
Time: Starts at 20:00 Sunday, August 15, 2010
Recommended viewing spot: Nara Park (Tobihino Field)
Contact: 0742-22-3900 (Nara City Tourism Information Center)
Access: From JR or Kintetsu Nara Station, take a bus (Nara Kotsu Bus Line) for Kasuga Taisha Honden and get off at Kasuga Taisha Honden. Then walk five minutes. Alternatively, take a City Loop Bus and get off at Kasuga Taisha Omotesando. The site is near the bus stop.
Nara’s summer event featuring mainly dance performances. Together with unique make-up and costumes, each team boasts a creative performance. Participants will dance away the remaining summer heat.
Time: August 28 (Saturday) and 29 (Sunday), 2010
Place: Nara City (Nara Park Site, Higashimuki-dori Street, Konishi-dori Street, Hashimoto-cho, Mochiidono-dori Street, Sanjo-dori Street)
Contact: Basara Festival Planning Committee (0742-27-6700)
Access: Near Kintetsu or JR Nara Station
*The starting time will be determined soon
“Light-up Uda Matsuyama Yume Kaido” is an annual summer event which takes place in the preserved district of traditional buildings in Ouda. The district once prospered as a castle town and the streets from those days still remain. A beautiful light-up event for these old streets of high historical value.
Time: 18:00 – 21:00 August 26 (Wednesday) – 28 (Friday), 2010
Place: Ouda District, Uda City
Contact: Uda City Planning Committee of Matsuyama Yume Kaido 090-6904-8091
Access: Ride a bus for about 15 minutes from Kintetsu Haibara Station and get off at Ouda. Then walk 5 minutes.
The hanging bridge of Tanise is 54m high and 297m long, and is now a popular sightseeing spot. On the “Bridge Day” of August 4th (in Japanese, this date can read “Hashi”, which sounds the same as a “bridge”), a powerful and dramatic drum performance takes place on this, the longest hanging bridge in Japan.
Time: 16:30 - 22:00 Tuesday, August 4, 2010
Place: Hanging bridge of Tanise
Contact: Totsukawa Village Tourism Association 0746-63-0200
Access: Ride a bus for Shingu (by way of Totsukawa) for 1 hour and 50 minutes from JR Gojo Station and get off at Uenoji.
The lanterns inside the shrine grounds number 3000. For 800 years, Japanese people from all walks of life, including the famous Fujiwara family, have dedicated lanterns to the shrine. Hanging lanterns along the corridors create a mystic world of light and shadow and attract many visitors. All the lanterns are lit only twice a year, at this time (Chugen) and on the day before the calendric beginning of spring (Setsubun).
Time: 19:00 - 21:30 August 14 (Saturday) – 15 (Sunday), 2010
Place: Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Contact: Kasuga Taisha Shrine 0742-22-7788
Access: Take a bus (Nara Kotsu Bus Line) for Kasuga Taisha Honden at Kintetsu Nara Station and get off at the terminus. The shrine is close to the bus stop.