The Fire Letters in the Sky

Every August 16th, the mountains of Kyoto light up with massive flaming characters in what’s called Gozan no Okuribi—the “Five Mountain Send-Off Fire.” Among them, the most famous is the giant 大 (Dai) character on Mount Daimonji, visible from all over the city. But what is the true meaning behind this fiery tradition? Gozan no Okuribi is more than a beautiful spectacle—it's a solemn ritual to send the spirits of ancestors back to the afterlife after the Obon festival. Each of the five fires represents a different shape and mountain, but the first and most iconic to be lit is the "大" (meaning "great" or "big"), symbolizing a grand farewell. But here’s the twist: though it looks ancient, the current form of the ritual only became standardized in the Edo period. Before that, there were other characters and even more mountains involved. Some locals say that a sixth or seventh fire used to exist, but its meaning has been lost to time. Also, the best view of all five fires isn't from the city center—it’s from the roof of the Kyoto University Hospital (which is off-limits to the public now), or from carefully chosen spots like the Mt. Funaoka area or rooftop cafes in Demachiyanagi.