Comments on: Brief Daimonji 2005 video

By: nils

nils — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 02:25:03 +0000

If they soaked the logs in shochu instead of starting the fires with kindling, they could do that stroke order thing; that would be something.

Jerry, some secret desires are best kept to yourself.

David, Dai-mon-ji (the first three characters) means big character(s), then as you note, 5 mountains, then okuri-bi, sending off fires.

(feel free to add to this, anyone)

The fires symbolically mark the end of the o-Bon summer holiday, basically an ancestor-worship rite. Japanese folk tradition has it that spirits of deceased ancestors never really go away, they reside in the mountains (graveyards are often on mountainsides). The spirits come down and visit their relatives during o-bon, and the fires are a kind of tribute to them and light their way back to the mountains, sending them off with an honor.

However, the festival is hardly the genteel and solemn affair it must have been in older times. Kyoto is thronged with tourists for the spectacle, and as you can see from my video, jostling in the best viewing spots is common. Watching from a restaurant roof, as we did a few years ago, is more enjoyable than the riverbank tussle.

By: David

David — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 08:32:29 +0000

What does Daimonji Gozan Okuribi , acually mean? I know gozan means “five hills” , what does rest mean?

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 02:42:08 +0000

It remains one of my secret aspirations to sneak up there one August night and light an extra fire in the upper right quadrant. It would be awesome to see çŠ¬ burning bright for all to see.

Oh, and I have to say that the steps that run down the right leg of the main å¤§ are difficult to hike down in size 12 shoes.

By: Kuri

Kuri — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 13:14:04 +0000

But did they get the stroke order right? It would have been fun pointing out a stroke order mistake.