Kyoto’s anma fire festival lights up autumn sky
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On the evening of September 22, people in Anma, Kyoto, Japan held the “Anma Fire Festival,” lighting over 400 torches and bonfires.
Residents lit fires outside their homes after a signal sounded at 6 PM, and children walked through the village carrying small torches. Later, men in traditional outfits gathered at the main gate of Anma-dera Temple with large torches. The festival reached its peak when a portable shrine was carried down the stone steps.
People believe pulling the shrine’s ropes ensures a safe childbirth, so women participated in the festival. The Anma Fire Festival began in 940 when Emperor Suzaku moved the Yuki Shrine’s deity to Anma to calm anxieties caused by earthquakes and unrest. Local people welcomed the deity with bonfires and torches, establishing the festival’s origins.
