Update (15-OCT-17): Since the original video has been deleted, I have linked to a shorter video (of a different NHK World program: ‘Fudoki – Culture and Topography of Japan’ with the episode title ‘Gozan no Okuribi’) and added a few images related to this subject.
Quoting from the introduction to the program on the NHK World VOD site:
Japanese believe their ancestors’ spirits visit in mid-August. To safely guide the spirits back to the other world, they light bonfires on 5 mountains in the Gozan-no-okuribi ceremony. The residents charged with the Hidari-daimonji bonfire solemnly uphold the traditional spirit of prayer and allow only local participation. Here, a large torch is used to transport the fire from the temple at the foot of the mountain. Discover the customs that continue to bind the living and the dead in Kyoto.
Original Content Source (video not available anymore):
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/corekyoto/201709130600/
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| Photo credit: www3.nhk.or.jp |
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| Photo credit: www3.nhk.or.jp |