Kasuga Shrine and Lantern Festival...shucks

As I was writing about Setsubon, I just realized that the Kasuga Shrine Lantern festival in Nara was probably this weekend. Crap! I hate when this happens... I really wanted to go and was so close! The festival is held twice a year (during Setsubon and Obon), so I might have one more chance to check it out.

As you know, Nara is the ancient capital of Japan and is scattered with UNESCO World Heritage Site-yielding temples, pagodas and shrines. It's a very romantic place and I recommend going if you come to Japan, even as a day/morning trip from Kyoto.

So Kasuga is one of these amazing shrines, set deep in the city's ancient forest. It has beautiful, traditional stone lantern-lined paths leading up to it, and the priests actually light all the lanterns (hundreds of them!) twice a year. I've only been to the shrine once, but it struck me as very mystical, maybe even magical - like something out of a Ghible movie. I've wanted to see the festival since I first went to the shrine, shortly after arriving in Japan, so hopefully I'll make it to see the lanterns someday. I have a feeling it'd be worth it! Either way, big FYI if you're ever in Japan in February or August!