Gozan-no-Okuribi (Bonfire of the Five Mountains)

In Kyoto, a famous event called the Gozan-no-Okuribi (Bonfire of the Five Mountains) is held on the last day of the obon.

送り火(okuri-bi) the Farewell Fire

This fire is used to send off the souls of ancestors.

This is a spectacular event in which kanji and other symbols appear on the mountains surrounding Kyoto City.

Rather than me explaining this, the best way to find out is to visit the official website!😅

It seems that English translation (Google Browser) is also available, so please read the explanation.

Reference:

京都観光ナビ

https://ja.kyoto.travel/event/major/okuribi/

Looking at it from a distance, we are worried about whether it will cause a forest fire, but we can see that it is a safe structure in this web.

And although it has been cancelled this year, we know that carrying the wood to the mountain to be burned is also one of the prayers.

My mother once carried a tree, and she said it was not so difficult to climb.

Every year, people gather at a place where they can see it, and every time a kanji appears one by one, a cheer goes up from nowhere.

But like last year, it seems that the event will be held in a reduced size to avoid denseness.

And this year, there will also be a live video feed, so perhaps you can see the same scenery with us from as far away as Japan.😉

I would like to watch the Gozan-no-Okuribi  at home this year, thinking of those who have passed away and wishing for the end of the covid-19.

I also wrote about Okuri-bi here.

🔶Obon is the day when ancestors come home.