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Yamayaki Mountain Burning is a yearly celebration of burning mountainside grass to the ground to celebrate the fire festival. The venue of the grass burning is in Mount Wakakusa that is 334 meters high. Wakakusa means young grass. The people would go up to the mountainside, start a bonfire, lit the fireworks.

The origins of the practice are not clear although there were theories that mountain burning started when the dispute between the temples of Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji started. Others claim that the mountain burning was used to ward off wild boards and pests such as harmful insects and fertilize the soil. Some also say that it's done for deities and spirits. 

Residents held the festival every January on 4th Saturday but in case of bad weather, the event could be suspended. At 17:00, the people start the procession (some of whom are carrying torches). They start from the Tobino area and head towards the mountainside stops at the Mizuya shrine and lit the bonfire before hundreds of spectators.

Around 18:15, they began to start the fireworks display for 15 minutes. soon after, they set the grass ablaze. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete the mountainside burning. Due to the mountain elevation, the fireworks display and the grassland burning dominates the night view of Nara city.
 

How to get there? 

You can get to the mountain on foot from the Kintetsu Nara Station and JR Nara Station. Mt.Wakakusayama is in Nara city which is near the cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe.

Tags: japanese traditions, yamayaki fire festival, japanese festivals, mountain burning, mount wakakusa, Nara prefecture, japanese celebrations, fire festival nara city, japanese culture