The traditional Gozan no Okuribi event, which sends off the spirits of ancestors who were welcomed during Obon, will be held on the night of August 16, 2024, on various mountains in Kyoto City. On August 14, the offering of gomagi wood began at Daimonji (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City), where citizens entrusted their wishes.
On August 16, the Daimonji will be lit at 8 pm at Nyoigatake (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City), followed by Myoho (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, Matsugazaki Nishiyama and Higashiyama), Funagata (Kita Ward, Kyoto City, Funayama), Hidari Daimonji (Kita Ward, Kyoto City, Okitayama), and Toriigata (Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Mandalayama) every five minutes. The lighting time may change in the event of rain or strong winds.
Information on the preparation status will be posted on the websites of the Kyoto Gozan no Okuribi Association and the Kyoto City Tourism Association. The association is calling for a ban on climbing the mountains on August 16th, the turning off of outdoor lights and advertising lights (between 7:50 and 8:50 pm, except in Fushimi and Yamashina wards), and a ban on the use of drones.
On August 14th, the Daimonji Preservation Society set up a donations office at Hachi-jinsha Shrine (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City) where citizens wrote messages such as "good health and long life" and "safety of the family" on split cypress tags and split pine logs.
Each preservation societies will accept donations until August 16th.
