THE GIST OF THIS ARTICLE
- Page 1 What is Gozan Okuribi, Crowdfunding, the schedule of 2026, What is Obon, When Gozan Okuribi startd?
- Page 2 Gomagi and its schedule, How to light the Okuribi? , About Each Okuribi
The following is the contents of this article.
What is Gozan Okuribi? 五山の送り火とは？
Introduction
Gozan Okuribi/Gozan no Okuribi is a set of bonfires in 5 places on 16 August. At 20:00, Daimonji (大) is lit and Matsugasaki Myoho (松ヶ崎妙法), Funagata Mantoro(船形万燈籠), Hidari Daimonji (左大文字), and Torii Gata Taimatsu(鳥居形松明) are lit in every five minutes.
In Okuribi, Gomagis are also set fire with them. We believe Gomagis save us from illness. (I’ll show you what they are later.)
It is the most famous annual event in late summer and is known as one of so-called “4 big Kyoto events” as long as Gion Matsuri, Aoi Matsuri, and Jidai Matsuri.
Okuribi started as a Buddhist ritual called Urabone (盂蘭盆会) in Shinbutsu Shugo, the fusion of Shinto in order to welcome Oshoraisan, the deceased ancestors, and send them back them to the place where they belong. No one can tell when and how it was commenced though its fame but it took place at least 17th century.
I’m sure the respect and affection for ancestors, we called it Sorei Shinko, are primitive and universal. And they make the foundation of Japanese belief. For instance, Oinari-san, the deity enshrined in Fusimi Inari is based on them. Anyway, Okuribi is based on universal emotion or sentiment, anyone can show our tnot only to the deceased but the ones you love. 合掌
Sorei Shinko and Fushimi Inari is described in this post. The English edition is not available so far.
Enjoy them in the video. Daimonji, Hidari daimonji, Matsugasaki Myoho, Funagata Mantoro, Hidari Daimonji, and Toriigata Taimatsu.
In addtion to them, Toro Nagashi is also availble near Toriigata Taimatsu. The soul of the deceased are on the Toros. They are on the way to the place they belong.
In the middel of the pandemic コロナ禍の様子
In 2020(Reiwa 2) and 2021(Reiwa 3), Gozan Okuribi was simplified. Only the circled ones were lit.
Crowdfunding 2026
This year, Gozan Okuribi Rengokai association started the crowdfunding in order to cope with the financial difficulties.
Time schefule of 2026 点火の時間
Goza Okuribi consists of five bonfires and they are lit consecutively. The following is the schedule of 2026.
From the east to the west:
- Daimonji 大文字・・・20:00
- Matsugasaki Myoho 松ヶ崎妙法・・・20:05
- Funegata Mantoro 船形万灯籠・・・20:10
- Hidari dai Monji 左大文字・・・20:15
- Torii Gata Taimatsu 鳥居形松明・・・20:20
What is Obon? 盂蘭盆会（お盆）との関係
Gozan Okuribi is a way of waving our good-bye to the deceased ancestors in Obon. We cannot tell when Gozan Okuribi began.
Its first appearance in history is in a private dairy called Keicho Nikken Roku『慶長日件録』in 1603. The Author says, “I went to the river bank to see bonfires in the mountains…”
Youshu Fusi『雍州府志』, a topography in 1682, introduce Gozan Okuribi to us as a part of Obon.
Obon is base on a story in The Yulanpen Sutra. It depicts: There was a Gautama Buddha’s disciple called Mokuren. He has a supernatural power to see. One day, he found his mother suffered in Gakido, the place like hell.
In Gakido, people suffer from thirst and hunger because evry drink and food turn to fire.
With his ability, Mokuren tried to send food to her mother in fail. He was at a loss and asked Gautama Buddha for advice. He said, “Now monks are under training. On the last day of the training, give them food. And your mother also enjoy the food.”
Mokuren gave monks food as he advised. They enjoyed the food and their joy went to people in Gakido and Mokuren’s mother also enjoyed the food.
This story went into an event to admire ancestors known as Obon.
In Obon, we believe our deceased ancestors came back to us for a couple of days. Usual year, Obon starts on 13 August and ends 3 days later.
On 16 August, we wave our good-bye to the ancestors with bonfires. Most of bonfires are small ones. This bonfire is called Okuribi. To set Okuribi fire is one of the most emotional annual events we have. Gozan Okuribi is a huge one of the bonfires.
When did Gozan Okuribi begin? いつからはじまったのか？
概要
As described before, Gozan Okuribi began at least 17th century but no one can tell when it started exactly. There are many hypotheses and I’ll show you some of popular ones that tells us the begging of Daimonji. I’ll show you the begging of the other one later individually.
- Around 8~9th century ・・・Kukaistarted it.
- In the 15th century ・・・Ashikaga Yoshimasa started it as a memorial service for his son.
- In the 17th century・・・The master of Calligraphy started it.
Around 8～9th century
There is a temple called Jodoin located next to Ginkakuji temple. The temple was in charge of Daimonji. It used to be a temple called Jodoji. Miyako Meisho Zue (『都名所図会』), the guide book of Kyoto in the 18th century, says that when Jodoji was caught by fire, Amitaba appeared and he gave off the light and Kukai, the founder of Shingon scholl, modified the it into Daimonji.
There is another theory. Some says that Kukai started Gozan Okuribi as a ritual to calm epidemics down. He considered the Imperial palace as the altar, Daimojji and Hidari Daimonji as Mandala, Myoho as the Deity, and Funagata and Toriigata as gardians.
Vajrayana ritual? See the article of Goshichinichi Mishio.
In the 15th century
Yamashiro Meiseki Shi (『山城名跡志』), the guide book of Koto in the 18th century, says that Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the 8th Shogun of Ashikaga Shogunate and the founder of Ginkakuji temple, started Okuribi to mourn for his deceased son.
The same thing is stated in a hand scroll found in Ginkakuji these years. This is an influential theory.
17th century
Anaisya,the guide book of Kyoto in 17th century, says that “In Matsugasaki, Myoho are lit. The letter of Myo(妙) and Ho(法) are written on the mountain and they stick the pieces of wood with torches. Hokake Bune (Funagata Mantoro) of Kitayama and Daimonji of Jodoji lit the fire in the same way. The letters of Daimonji (on the mountain) is written by Knoe Nobuchika.
Original Text:「松ヶ崎には妙法の二字に火をともす。山に妙法という筆画に杭をうち、松明を結び付つけて火をともしたるものなり。北山には帆かけ船、浄土寺には大文字皆かくの如し。大文字は三藐院殿（近衛信尹）の筆画にてきり石をたてたりといふ」
Konoe Nobuchika is one of “Kanei no Sanpitsu,” the three masters of Shodo calligraphy in the Kanei period. He is a prominent calligrapher and this story is widely accepted as “the theory could be true.”
This story doesn’t tell Nobuchika started Daimonji but people think it tells us Okuribi took place at least in the 17th century.
