Festivals / March / Nara

Omizutori

お水取り（東大寺二月堂修二会）say “oh-mee-zoo-toh-ree”

For two weeks each March, monks at Nara's Tōdai-ji swing giant flaming torches along the balcony of a hilltop hall. The ritual has been held every year since 752.

Nara · Map ↗March 1–14, every year★★ Day tripBuddhist ritualFireSpring

A torch blazes along the balcony of Nigatsu-dō Hall at night, showering sparks down the wooden walls. — An otaimatsu torch on the balcony of Nigatsu-dō, Tōdai-ji, March. Photo: ignis, CC BY-SA 3.0. Source

What it is

The Omizutori is part of the Shuni-e, a two-week Buddhist rite of repentance held at Nigatsu-dō Hall in Tōdai-ji, the temple of Nara’s Great Buddha. Eleven monks pray day and night for the peace and happiness of the nation. Tōdai-ji says the rite has been held every year since 752, the year the Great Buddha was dedicated.

For visitors, the moment to see is the otaimatsu. Every evening, attendants carry huge flaming torches up the stairs of the hall to light the monks’ way, then run them along the balcony, showering sparks over the crowd.

Spring comes after the fire

The name Omizutori, “water drawing”, comes from a rite in the early hours of March 13, when monks draw sacred water from a well beneath the hall. People in Nara say that spring arrives only when the Omizutori is over.

Key dates

The festival at a glance

Date	What happens
Mar 1–11, 13	Otaimatsu torches: From 19:00, ten torches are carried up to the balcony, about 20 minutes
Mar 12	The largest torches: From 19:30, eleven huge basket torches, about 45 minutes
Mar 13, about 1:30	Drawing the sacred water: Monks draw water from the Wakasa well in the small hours; the rite that gives the event its name
Mar 14	Final night: From 18:30, ten torches line the balcony at once, about 10 minutes

First visit?

Which day should you go?

Best for first-timers

Any evening, Mar 1–11

The same fire ritual with far smaller crowds. You can stand close below the balcony.

The main event

Mar 12

The biggest torches of the fortnight. Viewing areas fill hours ahead and are tightly controlled.

Short and dramatic

Mar 14

All ten torches blaze along the balcony together for a few minutes.

At the festival

What to look for

The torches

Each otaimatsu is a bundle of cypress and bamboo up to 8 meters long. Monks carry them up the covered stairs and swing them over the balcony rail.

Falling sparks

Embers rain down on the crowd below. They are said to protect against illness for the year.

The hall

Nigatsu-dō stands on a hillside above the Great Buddha Hall. Come early to see the view over Nara at sunset.

Before you go

Practical tips

Cold. Early March evenings in Nara are cold. Dress warmly and wear sturdy shoes for the hillside.
Timing. Torch times are fixed each year by the temple. Check Tōdai-ji's announcement in February.
Combine. Visit the Great Buddha Hall and Nara Park's deer in the afternoon before the torches.

Words you’ll hear

Glossary

Taimatsu松明

A torch made from bundled wood or bamboo. Giant taimatsu are the centerpiece of fire festivals such as the Omizutori.

Matsuri祭り

A Japanese festival, usually held for the kami of a local shrine. The word comes from the idea of serving and entertaining the gods.

Sources

References

Nara City Tourism Association: Tōdai-ji Nigatsu-dō Shuni-e (Omizutori), https://www.nantokanko.jp/gyoji/730.html
Tōdai-ji, official website: Shuni-e schedule.

Last checked 2026-10-12.