Kansai · NaraCultural
Thousands of oil lamps set out among a field of stone pagodas in old Nara, lit at dusk on 23 and 24 August 2026.
Overview
Jizo-e Manto Kuyo (地蔵会万灯供養) is Gangoji’s summer lantern memorial, held on the same two fixed dates every year. Gangoji is a Shingon Risshu temple in the Naramachi district and a component of the UNESCO World Heritage “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara”. It descends from Hoko-ji, the temple better known as Asuka-dera, which was relocated when the capital moved to Heijo-kyo.
It should not be confused with Todaiji’s Manto Kuyoe on 15 August, or with the Jizo-bon observance at Toshodaiji — Nara has several overlapping Obon lantern rites, and this is the one held in the stone-pagoda field.
When and Where
Dates: 23 and 24 August 2026 (fixed annual dates).
Hours: 17:00–20:30, gates close 20:30. Precinct opening hours are extended to 09:00–21:00 on these two days, against the usual 09:00–17:00.
Venue: Gangoji, 11 Chuin-cho, Nara City — the Gokurakubo main hall and the futoden stone-pagoda field behind it.
Getting There
Gangoji is about fifteen minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station, or twenty minutes from JR Nara Station, through the lanes of Naramachi. Nara Kotsu city buses stop at Fukuchiin-cho (five minutes’ walk) and the city loop bus at Tanaka-cho (also five minutes).
The temple car park is closed from 22 to 25 August and the temple states there is no parking for this event, so come by train or bus.
What to Expect
Lamp dishes are inscribed in sumi ink with prayers, filled with rapeseed oil and lit with a rush wick. They are set out across the futoden, the temple’s field of stone pagodas and stone Buddha images, so the light comes up from ground level among the stonework rather than hanging overhead.
Inside the main hall, two Jizo Bosatsu statues are enshrined in front of the Chiko Mandala, the temple’s principal image, with andon lanterns donated by well-known figures on display. A memorial service precedes the lighting, with stated intentions of memorial for the deceased, household safety, children’s healthy growth and world peace.
The dishes themselves are low-fired so that they eventually return to the soil.
Tickets and Admission
Free for the evening event, according to the Nara Prefecture Visitors Bureau. For reference, normal daytime admission is ¥700 for adults and university students, ¥500 for high and junior high school students, and ¥300 for elementary students.
Lamp dishes can be requested on the day — no advance booking is needed.
Tips for Visitors
Arrive close to 17:00. The lighting is most atmospheric as daylight fades, and gates close at 20:30 sharp.
Request a lamp dish on arrival. Writing your own prayer and having it lit among the pagodas is the point of attending rather than simply looking.
A special goshuin is issued on these two days only. Bring your seal book if you collect them.
Access and Map
| Dates | 23–24 August 2026 (fixed annually) |
|---|---|
| Hours | 17:00–20:30; gates close 20:30. Precinct open 09:00–21:00 on these days. |
| Venue | Gangoji, 11 Chuin-cho, Nara City, Nara |
| Access | Kintetsu Nara Station approx. 15 min walk; JR Nara Station approx. 20 min walk; bus to Fukuchiin-cho, 5 min walk |
| Admission | Free for the event. No parking — temple car park closed 22–25 August. |
| Official site | Gangoji Temple |
Source: Gangoji Temple official site
Also: Nara City Tourism Association
Image: Photo: Mr Yasushi Fukunaga / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
