Gozan Okuribi - Sending off the spirits until next Obon
Though the origin of the event is not clearly known, it has been an important annual public summer rite for several centuries. It is said that there used to be a custom to send off ancestor’s spirits by throwing burning torches into the air. In contrast, the present Gozan Okuribi adopts the style of lighting a fire bed on each mountain as a way of guiding the spirits of the dead back to the Buddhist Pure Land, after being welcomed earlier at the beginning of the Obon period.
On the night of the 16th from 20:00, six symbols will appear on five mountains surrounding the city of Kyoto: “Daimonji (lit. Large),” “Myo & Ho (Buddha’s remarkable teaching),” “Funagata (ship),” “Toriigata (shrine gate),” and “Hidari Daimonji (also Large on Mt. Hidari Daimonji).”
Get Gozan Okuribi original items!
The Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Supporters’Association sells original Gozan Okuribi items. Get one or more and enjoy the traditional customs of Kyoto. *The revenue will be used to subsidize the Gozan Okuribi.
Available at the Kyoto Tourist Information Center “Kyo Navi” (2F JR Kyoto Station Building) or Nijo Castle Gift Shop.
