お盆の終わりを告げる3つの京都の行事/Three Kyoto events bring us to the end of Obon season

昨日8月16日は #お盆 の終わり、ご先祖様が帰って行かれる日でした。お見送りに際して、行われる3つの慣習をご紹介します。

Yesterday August 16th is traditionally considered as the day our ancestors' spirits go back to their world, that is, the end of #Obon season. To see off them, there are three customs and events.

【送り鐘 -- A bell hitting called Okurigane】

三条寺町にある、矢田寺では「送り鐘」をついて、ご先祖様の霊を送り出します。賑やかな商店街の一角には多くの人が参拝され、鐘の音が厳かに響いていました。

Around Sanjo shopping street, there is a small temple named Yatadera with a special bell. This is usually a quiet place but on this day, a lot of people come here to hit the bell. In a cheerful shopping street, the gong sound was impressively echoed.

お盆の初めには「迎え鐘」をついてご先祖様を迎えるお寺があります。

In the beginning of Obon season, there are several temples where people hit the bell to welcome the spirits.

【灯籠流し -- lantern floting】

仏教の五色、白・青(現代の緑)・黄・赤・黒(現代の青)にちなんで、池や川に5色の灯籠を流します。

Five(white, green, yellow, red, blue) colors of lanterns are set adrift in a pond, river or sea. In Buddhism, the colors symbolizes all elements in the nature or its is said spiritual enlightenment.

私は広沢池で鑑賞しましたが、嵐山や京都以外の他の水辺の地域でも見ることができ、日本人の死生観として、水が流れゆくもの、すなわち遥か彼方、あの世へ続いていくものであったことを思わされます。 あの世は海の向こうにあると考えられたのかもしれませんね。

I enjoyed it at Hirosawa Pond and it is one of the most famous sites, but still you can see it at Arashiyama district in Kyoto and other areas in Japan, too. All sites are located near waterside in common, which shows Japanese people have viewed water flows and takes spirits far away to the sea. They might have thought the other world of the dead are over the ocean.

【送り火】

山にかがり火を焚いてご先祖様を見送ります。京都では五山の送り火とも通称され、5つの文字が暗闇の中に灯されます。宗教色の強い行事ですが、お盆休みとも重なるため、観光においても人気です。

Bonfire is also a way to see them off. Kyoto bonfire is named Gozan-no-okuribi (five mountain bonfires). It is very religious originally but since we take days off in Obon season, many tourists visit Kyoto to appriciate it.

京都の夏の伝統行事。一年に一度なのでなかなか出会うのが難しいかもしれないですが、機械があればぜひご鑑賞ください。

It is Summer tradition in Kyoto that happens once a year. Due to this, it might be difficult to see, but I hope you have a chance to experience them.