okuribi

Okuribi (the "sending fire") is a fire lit during the Bon period to send the spirits of ancestors, who have returned home, back from this world to the other world. A traditional Japanese annual observance forming a pair with the welcoming fire (mukaebi), it is generally held at dusk on August 16th (or July 16th in some regions), the end of Bon.

Okuribi takes many forms, from the simple burning of hemp stalks at a household gate to grand events conducted by an entire region. The most famous of all is Kyoto's "Gozan no Okuribi" (Five Mountains Sending Fire). On the night of August 16th, the sight of gigantic fire-characters such as the character for "great" being lit one after another on the mountains surrounding Kyoto is nationally known as a tradition heralding the end of Kyoto's summer, captivating many tourists.

Additionally, "shōrō nagashi" and "tōrō nagashi"—lighting lanterns and setting them adrift on rivers or the sea—are also practiced in various regions as a form of okuribi. The dreamlike sight of countless lights covering the water's surface, guiding ancestral spirits to the other world, carries the prayers of those who see them off. Okuribi is an observance expressing gratitude to ancestors and the sentiment of parting—a quiet and beautiful custom of summer's end, symbolizing the Japanese view of life and death and the heart that cherishes the departed.