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12/31/2009 - 1/01/2010Okera Mairi
Kyoto,
Japan
A symbolic religious festival, on Okera Mairi it is traditional to visit the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto to obtain the sacred flame of okera, a medicinal herb. The lighted roots of the herb are carried back home where fires are lit on which the first meal of the New Year is cooked. The herb is used to cleanse the evil forces and energies of the previous year.
Themes:
History
, Religion
, Culture
Hours: Throughout this period; usually from the evening of New Year's Eve through to the morning of New Year's Day.
Cost: Free.
Where: Yasaka Shrine
Shijo-dori
Gion
Kyoto, Japan
Getting there:
Bus: from Kyoto Station 100 or 206 to Gion
Rail: Keihan Line to Shijo Station or Hankyu Line to Kawaramachi Station
Foot: the Yasaka Shrine is a an attractive, 20-minute walk from Kiyomizudera down through the narrow lanes of the Higashiyama district
Contact Information:
Kyoto City Tourist Association
JR Kyoto Station Building 2 Floor
Karasuma-dori
Shiokoji-sagaru
Shimogyo-ku
Kyoto
Japan
Telephone: +81 (0)75 343 6655.
Website: http://raku.city.kyoto.jp/sight_e.phtml
