A Day to Experience the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Ritual Bonfires

This is a special experience that will allow you to climb the mountainside which is usually off-limits on days the ritual bonfires are lit, observe the firebeds, and experience the history and culture of these Kyoto bonfires.

The Kyoto Gozan Okuribi (lighting of ritual bonfires on the five mountains of Kyoto), which light up the summer in Kyoto along with the famous Gion Festival, has long been appreciated for its dynamism with large, blazing Japanese characters written with fire on the mountainside. The Gozan Okuribi event was not originally intended as a visual spectacle, but rather to see off the spirits of ancestors as they return to the afterlife at the end of their visit back to this world during the Bon Festival. For this reason, the five mountains where the bonfires are lit are considered sacred, and the public is not permitted to enter them, especially on days when the fires are lit.
For the first time ever, visitors will be able to go to the mountainsides on the day of the event, and experience the history, origin, and customs of each mountain, as well as observe the fire beds, so that they can learn more about the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi ritual. The same evening, visitors will also stop by the former Shimogamo Villa of the Mitsui family, an Important Cultural Property, and the Komai Residence, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Both facilities will be booked out exclusively for tour participants during times when they are normally closed, so that they can witness the actual lighting of the bonfires (from both facilities, you can see the lighting of the huge, blazing characters) alongside commentary from expert guides.
There is also the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Stamp Rally, which involves visiting shrine facilities and collecting a special red stamp at each of the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi mountains. The stamp rally is held in cooperation with cab operators and commercial facilities, and it will give participants various opportunities to experience and learn more about the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi ritual bonfires.