mukaebi

Mukaebi (the "welcoming fire") is a fire lit during Japan's Bon season to welcome home the spirits of ancestors returning from the other world. A nationwide annual observance, it is generally held at dusk on August 13th (or July 13th in some regions), the start of Bon, at the gate or entrance of the home.

Mukaebi carries the meaning of lighting a fire as a marker so that the returning ancestral spirits do not lose their way. The traditional practice is to burn "ogara"—dried stalks of hemp—atop a "hōroku," an unglazed earthenware plate. Relying on the rising smoke and flame, ancestral spirits are believed to use this fire as a guide to return to their cherished home.

Mukaebi is a custom symbolizing the Japanese spirit of revering ancestors and the affection of warmly welcoming the departed. Practices vary by region and household: the custom of carrying lanterns to greet the spirits at the grave, and that of hanging Bon lanterns at the entrance, are also widely seen. During the Bon period, ancestral spirits spend time with the family, and at the end of Bon they are sent off again to the other world by the "okuribi" (sending fire). Mukaebi and okuribi, forming a pair of observances, convey the Japanese view of life and death and the bonds of family to this day.