Kamogawa Delta (Daimonji)

photo by Hajime NAKANO · CC BY 2.0

photo by Joli Rumi · CC BY-SA 4.0

On 16 August five mountains light up one every five minutes: from here you can see the first.

The delta where the Kamo and Takano rivers meet, with its stepping stones that let you cross the water by hopping, is the public spot recommended by the city of Kyoto for seeing the first and largest of the five fires (五山送り火): a 大 character (‘great’) drawn with burning bundles of brushwood on the side of Mount Nyoigatake, lit at 20:00 and visible for about half an hour. The other four light up in sequence, one every five minutes, on other hills around the city – 妙法, a boat, a second 大 and a torii – but from the delta, facing east, only the first can be seen well.

The rite, of Buddhist origin, accompanies the return of the ancestors' spirits to the afterlife at the end of the Obon celebrations; all five fires are registered as an intangible cultural property of the city of Kyoto.

ℹ️ The delta park is a public area, always accessible and free, popular all year round for picnics and walks. On the evening of 16 August people start taking their places along the embankment from about 17:00.

🚉 Demachiyanagi · 2 min walk

Sources: ja.kyoto.travel

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