Gozan Okuribi – The Character "Dai" Glowing in Kyoto's Summer Night Sky

The Gozan Okuribi consists of five bonfires: the "Dai" (大) on Nyoigatake in Higashiyama, "Myōhō", the boat shape, the "Hidari Daimonji" and the torii shape. The Higashiyama "Dai" is so well known that the whole event is often simply called "Daimonji".

Together with Kyoto's three great festivals, Aoi, Gion and Jidai, it is sometimes counted among the city's four great events. Other character shapes are said to have been lit in the past.

The okuribi is not a tourist show but a Buddhist Obon rite for sending off the spirits. The Kyoto way to watch is quietly, hands joined, from somewhere like the banks of the Kamo River with a view of the mountains. Which fires you can see depends on where you stand, so check beforehand.