Fujinami no Ya
This building was originally used by Shinto priests attending at the shrine. It now houses a display of bronze hanging lanterns that are lit to recreate the atmosphere of Mandoro, the annual lantern festival held at Kasuga Taisha Shrine.
Until the end of the Edo period (1603–1867), all the approximately 3,000 stone lanterns and bronze hanging lanterns were lit every night. This consumed around 280 liters of oil each evening. The enormous cost was funded by the Tokugawa shogunate.
The 3,000 lanterns of Kasuga Taisha Shrine are now lit only twice a year, in February and August. People gather from all around Japan to participate in these festivals and experience the exquisite beauty of the flickering lanterns.
The lanterns in the Fujinami no ya allow visitors to experience in miniature something of the atmosphere of the lantern festivals.