Daimonjibi - Big letter fire

Japanese: 大文字火 - だいもんじび

This is a fire lit on August 16th at Mt. Daimonji, located in Nyoigatake, Sakyo Ward, eastern Kyoto City. It is a bonfire to send off the spirits of the deceased during the Obon festival. It is said to have been started by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, but is thought to have started in the early Edo period. At that time, on July 6th of the lunar calendar, people from Jodo-ji village cut a pine tree about 2 to 3 feet long from the mountain, split it, and lifted it up on the evening of the 16th, burning it in the shape of the character Dai. The characters are said to have been written by either Kobo Daishi or Yokokawa Keizo of Shokoku-ji Temple.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

京都市東部，左京区如意ヶ岳中にある通称大文字山で8月16日に焚かれる火のこと。盂蘭盆会（うらぼんえ）の送り火（おくりび）(精霊送り火)である。足利義政が創始したものというが，江戸時代初期にはじまったものと思われる。当時，旧暦7月6日に浄土寺村の者が，山から長さ2,3尺ばかりの松の木を切り出し，それを割って16日の晩に持ち上がり，大の字の跡で燃やした。文字は弘法大師の筆とも相国寺横川景三の筆ともいわれている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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