The second Sunday of January takes place at Mount Wakakusa a ceremony around a pyre of herbs named Yamayaki. The monks of the temples of Nara set fire to the dry grasses of winter. First a torch is lit at the Kasuga-taisha shrine, then a procession of monks carries it to a small shrine at the foot of the hill. We then burn the whole hill.
Mount Wakakusa is located in Nara, Japan, beyond the eastern end of the Nara-kōen. The Buddhist temples of Tōdai-ji and the Shinto shrine of Kasuga-taisha, part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara" listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, are located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa.
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Today, at Mount Wakakusa in Japan, Yamayaki takes place. First a torch is lit at the Kasuga-taisha shrine, then a procession of monks carries it to a small shrine at the foot of the hill. We then burn the whole hill. #mythology #myth #legend #January #calendar #wakakusa #yamayaki
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