The Kurama Fire Festival, considered one of the strangest festivals in Kyoto, will take place Tuesday at Yuki Shrine.

The festival starts when lanterns are lit in front of each house in the surrounding area at 6 p.m. and continues with boys and men carrying burning torches of various sizes, and men in traditional costumes and women carrying portable shrines.

The closest train station to the shrine is Kurama on the Eizan Railway Line.

More details can be found at www.yukijinjya.jp (in Japanese) or by calling 075-741-1670.

Mount Ogura clean-up effort needs volunteers

The NPO called People Together for Mt. Ogura is asking volunteers to join its effort Oct. 27 to pick up rubbish in an oak forest on the mountain in Kyoto.

The group will meet at 9:40 a.m. in Saga Arashiyama Station on the JR Sagano Line and work until 3:45 p.m. Participants need to bring their own packed lunch, beverages, sturdy shoes and warm clothing.

For more information, check www.ptogura.org/ep.html (in English) or send email to [email protected] .

Mongolian festival next Saturday in Suita

A Mongolian autumn festival will be celebrated Oct. 26 in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.

The festival, lasting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature a free concert by the popular Mongolian group KIWI, a Mongolian sumo wrestling competition and ethnic music performances. Visitors can also try on traditional costumes and buy Mongolian food. No reservations are required.

The venue for the concert is the National Museum of Ethnology, a 15-minute walk from Koen Higashiguchi Station on the Osaka Monorail.

The other events will take place at the surrounding Expo '70 Commemorative Park.

For more details, visit www.kansai-asian.org/20131026.html (in Japanese). The contact number is 06-6241-7761.

Nagoya Festival celebrated this weekend

The Nagoya Festival is being held in various sites around the city this weekend.

One of the main events will be a parade in central Nagoya featuring the three famous warlords from the 16th century who grew up in the surrounding area: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The parade will take place between Nagoya Station and Nagoya Castle.

For more information, go to www.nagoya-festival.jp/?page_id"2 (in English) or call 052-972-7611.

World Collaboration features global performers

The World Collaboration Festival 2013 will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 27 in Nagoya.

Visitors can enjoy stage performances and speeches, and learn about international exchange activities organized by various groups. Admission is free.

The festival will be held at Oasis 21 Ginga no Hiroba and Hisaya Odori Koen Mochinoki Hiroba near Sakae Station on the Higashiyama and Meijo subway lines.

For further details, check www.world-collabo.jp/material/wcf_A4.pdf (in Japanese) or 052-581-5691.