Gozan no Okuribi


Gozan no Okuribi, more commonly known as Daimonji, is a festival in Kyoto, Japan. It is the culmination of the Obon festival on August 16, in which five giant bonfires are lit on mountains surrounding the city. It signifies the moment when the spirits of deceased family members, who are said to visit this world during O-Bon, are believed to be returning to the spirit world—thus the name Okuribi.

History

The origins of the festival are obscure, but it is believed to be ancient. Specific families have the hereditary duty of organizing all the logistics of the bonfires, and they spend many hours annually providing volunteer labor to maintain this tradition.

Schedule

Starting at 8 PM, the giant bonfires are lit, each with a distinctive shape. Three of the fires form giant Chinese characters, and two form familiar shapes. The characters, their locations, meanings, and the lighting times are:
The most famous—and the first to be lit—is the character dai, on Kyoto's Daimonji-yama.
The other four fires are lit at five to ten-minute intervals, and by 8:30, all the characters can be seen. Each bonfire lasts for 30 minutes.

The 2020 event will be significantly reduced, with only a few torches lit in each location, due to COVID-19.

Viewing Spots

The best place to view the festival is from the Nakagyo Ward, in the center of the city. Many hotels have Daimonji specials where, for a fee, you can see all five fires. Many people also like to go to the Kamo River, between Sanjo and Imadegawa Streets, for an excellent view of the initial fires. More specifically, the following spots are mentioned as good viewing spots:
AreaLocation
DaimonjiKamogawa River banks between Marutamachi and Misono Bridges
MyohoKitayama St. near Notre Dame Elementary School or Takano River banks around the north side of Takano Bridge
FunagataKitayama St.
Hidari DaimonjiNishioji St. between Shijo and the Kinkakuji area
ToriigataAround Matsuo Bridge or near Hirosawa Pond

Latitude and longitude