Burning torches recreate ancient rite during fiery Kyoto festival ／ 鞍馬の火祭

「鞍馬の火祭」が22日夜、京都市左京区の由岐（ゆき）神社一帯であった。
To the accompaniment of special chants, massive flaming torches spewing out sparks of fire illuminated the night sky during the millennium-old Kurama Fire Festival at Yukijinja shrine here on Oct. 22.

In the festival, which is said to reproduce the scene of the arrival of the enshrined deity, crowds of festival participants lift giant torches toward the sky while chanting "Sairei, sairyo." The largest torches measure four meters in length and weigh about 100 kilograms.