Kyoto bonfire displays in full form for the first time in 3 years

KYOTO bonfire displays on the hills surrounding Kyoto were shown at the Gozan Okuribi ritual for the first time in three years in their complete form.

Following two years of scaled-back events under the coronaviruses, the traditional event, held to send off the spirits of ancestors that are said to revisit during the obon holiday, was held in full this summer. In 2020 and 2021, the shapes of flaming kanji characters and symbols were incomplete, as the mountains were lit using significantly fewer ignition sites to prevent the crowding of tourists, workers and others. The Gozan Okuribi Preservation AssociationGozan Okuribi Preservation Association held a bonfire ritual in its usual form this year in order to pass on the skills to preserve the event for future generations.

On the day, thunder and rain stopped just before Daimonji, or the kanji character for dai large was lit on the hillside of Mount Nyoigatake in the Higashiyama area, a bit past 8 p.m. This was followed by the emerging displays of the characters for myoho meaning mystery or the law of Buddha a depiction of a boat, another dai character and a depiction of a Shinto torii gate.