Ahead of the Obon festival, "Rokudo Mairi"—a traditional event to welcome the spirits of ancestors, known as *shorai*—began on August 7, 2026 (the day marking the start of autumn), at Rokudo Chinno-ji Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward. Within the temple grounds, numerous worshippers rang the "welcoming bell" and clasped their hands in prayer to greet their ancestors' spirits.
The area surrounding Rokudo Chinno-ji lies along the path to Toribeno, a site used for funerals during the Heian period; since ancient times, the temple grounds have been believed to contain the "Rokudo no Tsuji" (Crossroads of the Six Realms), a boundary between this world and the underworld.
On this day, about 50 people were already queuing before the gates opened at 6:00 a.m. Visitors moved through the precincts carrying *mizutoba* (wooden memorial tablets inscribed with ancestors' posthumous names) and branches of *koyamaki* (Japanese umbrella pine) used to receive the spirits, while lines formed in front of the welcoming bell.
Although the sun beat down strongly from the morning, the area was briefly enveloped in a light drizzle around 8:00 a.m. Yoshihiro Sakaida (79), the head priest of Rokudo Chinno-ji, remarked, "It is a purifying rain. I believe it embodies our condolences for those who lost their lives in the Kumamoto earthquake."
Rokudo Mairi runs until August 10, with visiting hours from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
