On the fourth Saturday for each January, the dead grass of Mount Wakakusa is set ablaze as part of a unique and impressive festival called Wakakusa Yamayaki ‘Wakakusa Burning Mountain.’
There is no one who knows exactly how the tradition of burning the entire 342-meter-high hill in Japan’s Nara Prefecture actually started. One thing for sure, it has been around for hundreds of years and some say it began as a boundary dispute between the two greatest temples of Nara, Tōdai-ji, and Kōfuku-ji, sometime during the 18th century.
When mediation failed, the entire hill was burned to the ground, even no one quite remembers how that solved everything. Another claims that the annual fire originated as a way to eliminate pests and drive away wild boars. But for today, it’s just an impressive sight to behold that attracts tourists from all over the world.
Wakasuka Yamayaki, the celebration, starts early in the day, with a competition of giant rice cracker throwing. It’s not until 5 pm that a procession departs from the Tobino area of Kasuga Taisha towards Mount Wakasuka, then stop at the Mizuya Shrine along the way in order to light the torches. Around half-past five, the procession arrives at the base of the hill and a large bonfire is lit. Then after a 15-minutes fireworks display, torches are lit from the bonfire and the dead grass is set ablaze.
It depends on the condition of the grass on Mount Wakakusa on how long it takes for the entire are to burn. In wet conditions, the grass burns quite slowly and only in certain areas, whereas when it is dry, the blaze just covers up everything really fast.
The fire burns over a large area and appears to light up the sky and can be seen from miles away. Many spectators gather at the base of Mount Wakakusa, but many more watch it from within Nara city, as well as other vantage points in the area.
Source: Oddity Central