Gozan-no-okuribi: Bonfire viewing in Kyoto

The Japanese hold ceremonies at the end of Obon, the period in late summer during which the spirits of their ancestors are believed to visit this world, to ensure the safe return of these spirits to the spirit world. Gozan-no-okuribi, annually held on August 16th in Kyoto, is one such ceremony that--as the name indicates--sends off the spirits with large bonfires in traditional shapes on five mountains: those shapes are dai (the kanji for 'large'), myo and ho (kanji meaning 'wondrous dharma'), a boat, a torii shrine gate, and hidari-dai (left 'large'). The origins of this event--commonly known as Daimonji after the dai bonfire--are obscure, but it is widely thought to have begun between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Worshippers writing their gomagi slats

Wooden gomagi slats, which are burned in the bonfires, are sold from the 15th until 2 p.m. on the day of the event at the entrances of Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji and other temples. Once people write their ancestors' names, prayers or wishes on them, the gomagi are carried up the mountains to be laid on the bonfires. I wanted to actively participate in the festival, so I visited Ginkakuji and bought two gomagi slats that were destined for the daimonji bonfire on Mt Nyoigatake behind the temple.

Ginkakuji, which is charming and captivating, is one of my favourite temples. After a stroll through the gardens, I turned to the mission at hand--searching for a prime viewing spot. Many hotels and other establishments guarantee you a view of the bonfires for a price. However, I like enjoying festivals among the crowds, and finding a location from where to view the bonfires is, apparently, a challenge.

A torii on Imadegawa-dori marks the entrance to Yoshidayama, one of the recommended locations to view the bonfires. At the lookout, I found people had already staked their viewing spots with tripods. To my disappointment, daimonji, which appears at an angle, was the only bonfire visible from here, but the view was spectacular. I saw movement around the pyres on which wheat straw, pine needles and the gomogi slats--mine included--would be laid. A gentleman here mentioned that Kamogawa river was the best location to view daimonji face on. The search continues. (If you decide to view daimonji from Yoshidayama, take a torch.)

Camera ready on Yoshidayama facing daimonji in the distance

Kamo-ohashi bridge over the junction of Takanogawa and Kamogawa rivers offers the perfect view of daimonji. I crossed the stepping stones on the river, in which people off all ages were playing, to the spit. Considering the view, I was not surprised to see the choice picnic spots already staked out with blue plastic sheets. The gentleman at Yoshidayama was right.

I continued along the west bank of Kamogawa with my map open hoping to find the spot that the locals would want to keep a secret. Even though daimonji was clearly visible, trees and buildings obstructed the other bonfires, especially, at river level. I was still hopeful, though, that I would find a good location to view as many of the bonfires, as possible.

I noticed less people between Aoibashi and Izumojibashi bridges and felt nervous. I asked an elderly couple preparing for the arrival of their friends and neighbours for advice on the best vantage point. Myo-ho would not be visible due to the buildings obstructing the view from here, and only the stern of the ship would be visible from Izumojibashi. The wife explained how, centuries ago, each household lit their own bonfire, but the authorities decided to burn the bonfires collectively in mountain clearings due to the fire hazard. As I took my leave, I asked about the absence of the ubiquitous food stalls found at all festivals in Japan and was disappointed to hear that a city ordinance enacted in recent years banned the stalls during Gozan-no-okuribi.

I continued along the river further north to Kitaojibashi, but still no luck. As the couple suggested, the bonfires are best viewed from a higher location.

Here, I took a bus to Funaokayama, which is directly west of Kitaojibashi along Kitaoji-dori, resolute that I would stay there no matter what the view. The climb was steeper than Yoshidayama--promising. At the lookout, I was greeted by the sight of many unattended plastic sheets staking claims. With map in hand, I wandered among the plastic sheets, lining up the mountains, and found a small spot from which I had a clear view of daimonji, myo and hidari-daimonji, and a partial view of ho and the boat. Mission accomplished with two hours to spare. I spread a newspaper, anchored it with rocks and visited the local convenience shop.

To pass the time, I talked with the people around me, and I found that most--like myself--were not locals. Some were from cities as far as Tokyo, and others from Taiwan and Sweden. Apparently, the locals choose to stay home to watch the event on TV.

The practice run at hidari-daimonji caused a minor stir. People took photos and adjusted their camera settings ready for the main event. Everyone stood in anticipation minutes before the lighting of daimonji, the first bonfire. The lookout was becoming so crowded that it felt like being on a peak-hour train.

Daimonji

When daimonji was lit at eight o'clock, the lookout roared with excitement, drowning out the cicadas. I turned to find a sea of arms stretching to the stars with cameras in hand taking the shots of the bonfire. Ten minutes later, myo and ho were lit. Everyone shuffled to face them, raising their mobiles and cameras into the air, again. Despite the shapes of the bonfires being distorted from here, they were spectacular, nonetheless. My disappointment at only the top of the boat sail being visible was soon forgotten at the sight of hidari-daimonji burning directly behind us. Taking good shots was difficult considering the distance, but I was still impressed with my photos.

Myo-ho

Caught up in the excitement, I had forgotten that my gomagi were blazing in the distance. I paused from my photo-taking frenzy and turned to watch daimonji burn. I wondered where exactly they were placed. I closed my eyes and hoped that my prayers would be heard as the smoke carried them up into the heavens.

Hidari-daimonji

The article originally appeared on the Official Kyoto Travel Guide web site in August 2011. (The photos on this page were taken by George Bourdaniotis and differ to the official photos that accompanied the original article.)

[September 15, 2014] I have just finished working on an episode of Core Kyoto on this ceremony to air September 18 and 19 on NHK World.

Machiya Dining Guide to Kyoto

Long time Kyoto resident, Judith Clancy, released her Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide in late 2012. This is an an excellent restaurant guide to Kyoto's more up-market restaurants housed within renovated traditional Kyoto machiya-style townhouses with photographs by Ben Simmons. Options for those on a budget are hidden in between, too. The history of machiya in Kyoto is well detailed, and many facts about each of the buildings are included in each restaurant's write-up.

Every resident of Kansai at least - and anyone visiting Kyoto, for that fact - should buy this and Clancy's Exploring Kyoto. Both are indispensable guides that work well together. Having done a lot of work dealing with Kyoto recently, I appreciate Clancy's work and grasp of Kyoto, its culture and its history even more. If you want to do your friends and family a favour, buy them Kyoto the City of Zen.

Definitely the restaurant guide and the on-foot guide to Kyoto are a must, whether you live in Japan or are just travelling through. Both highly recommended.

Judith will be talking at a machiya restaurant for the Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators (SWET) on May 11, 2014, in Kyoto. Check the web site for more details.

Read an article on the SWET web site about the evolution of the restaurant guide.

Buy the paperback or the Kindle versions here:
Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide: Amazon JP, Amazon US
Exploring Kyoto: Amazon JP, Amazon US
Kyoto the City of Zen: Amazon JP, Amazon US

商店街 / Shopping Arcades

買い物苦手な私はスーパーやショッピングセンターへ買い物に足を運びますが、商店街で買い物する魅力にはやっぱり負けます。近年商店街ではシャッターが下ろしている店が多いです。活気のある商店街を歩きましたら、好奇心が湧きます。色々な店を除いたり、美味しそうな香りに誘惑されたりします。先日京都で時間を潰すために駅までぶらぶらと遠回りしました。生チョコの香りに引かれて、チョコレート屋を覗きましたら、店長に「見るだけでも良いですよ」と。作っている純米ココア酒について色々と話してくれました。次は煎餅屋さんで美味しい煎餅を三袋買いました。以外と楽しく買い物しました。

I don’t really like shopping. I go to the supermarket or shopping centre to buy what I need. Window shopping bores me. A work meeting, the other day, finished earlier than expected, so I had time on my hands. I decided to take the long way to the station and walk through the shopping arcade. In recent years, many stores in shopping arcades across Japan have shut their roller doors for good. The deeper I walked through the lively arcade along Sanjo, central Kyoto, the more my curiosity was piqued. Tempting, delicious aromas wafted out of shop fronts as I passed. One aroma emitting from a chocolate shop drew me in. The shop owner struck up a conversation with me and gave me a taste of his cocoa sake. Next, I bought three bags of rice-crackers from the friendly old guy who runs the cracker shop. I actually enjoyed window shopping, that day. Shopping arcades are definitely more appealing than huge shopping centres. If only everyone else agreed, a lot of them would not be ghost towns.

The Japanese version first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the goodspeed monthly newsletter.
日本語バージョンはグッドスピードレター2013年3月号に掲載されました。

緊張感 - Nervousness

 新年度早々新しい企画がスタート。今回はNHK国際放送局の新番組「Mapping Kyoto Streets」の台本監修を務めます。これから打ち合わせ等のために電車に乗る時間が長いですが、京都へ行ける、京都についてより深く勉強できる機会が増えて嬉しいです。友人や家族をはじめ視聴者の皆さんが楽しく視るためにナレーション等の表現について悩んだりします。そして出演者に台本を読んでもらうのを緊張します。人によって「緊張感」イコール「ストレス」ですが、私にとって緊張が面白くて良いことです。目の前にある仕事に対して感心を持っている証拠だと思います。

With the new financial year comes a new project. This project is the NHK World program, Mapping Kyoto Streets. As script advisor, I will be spending more time on the train to Kyoto for meetings and filming, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity to visit Kyoto more often and discover more about this ancient city. When I imagine my friends, colleagues and family watching this show, I start to worry if the narration is interesting enough. I also get nervous about the host and the narrator reading the translations I’ve prepared. Most people look at nervousness as stress, but nervousness, for me, is interesting. It is proof that I care about the work at hand.

The Japanese version first appeared in the April 2012 issue of the goodspeed monthly newsletter. 日本語バージョンはグッドスピードレター2012年4月号に掲載されました。 Mapping Kyoto Streets premieres on April 12 and airs once a fortnight. You can watch the show online, in real time. Check the web site for screening times. Pictured, here, is Randy Channell Soei – the host of Episode 1: Sanjo-dori – rehearsing his lines.

Counting My Blessings - 常に感謝を心に

同業者や異業種の懇親会に参加する内に、友達や仕事仲間、世間が広がります。その時は将来どんな事になるか想像できません。goodspeedとの出会いもその一つ。 楽しい仕事を一緒にしてきたからこそ、先月の旅番組、 CNNGoの現地コーディネートの急な話がきた時、きっと やり遂げられると思いました。短期間でゲスト選定やス ケジュール調整、ロケハン...皆様のお陰でいい仕事がで きました。常に周りに感謝していますが、今回は特に感 謝しています。ありがとうございました! この取材の模様は今月中旬放送される予定です。 お楽しみに!

I attend many professional and business networking events. Over time, I make new friends and business partners, and my network grows. When we meet, neither of us knows what the future holds. Meeting Daisuke at goodspeed was no different. We have worked on some interesting projects together since we met, so when I was contacted to be fixer for the CNN travel program, CNNGo, I did not hesitate to bring Daisuke on board. In the very brief time leading up to the shoot, we searched for guests to appear on the show, slapped together a filming schedule, went location scouting,... Thanks to everyone's cooperation, we got the job done. I always count my blessings, but this time I cannot express how grateful I am for everyone's support. Thank you! I hope readers catch the finished product on CNN, this month.

The Japanese version first appeared in the March 2012 issue of the goodspeed monthly newsletter. 日本語バージョンはグッドスピードレター2012年3月号に掲載されました。 CNN International will first air CNNGo Rebuilding Japan! Rediscovering the Beauty of Japan (Kyoto/Osaka) on March 14 and repeat it in the following weeks. After its premiere, it will be available for viewing on the CNNGo web site. 本番組は3月14日から放送されます。その後、CNNGoホームページでご覧ください。