送(おく)り火(び)

おくりび
noun
farewell fire (to send off ancestral spirits during Obon)
culture
1. farewell fire; send-off fire
A fire lit at the end of the Obon festival to guide the spirits of the deceased back to the afterlife. The counterpart of the welcoming fire (mukaebi) lit at the beginning of Obon.
送(おく)り火(び)を焚(た)いて先祖(せんぞ)を見送(みおく)る。
We light a farewell fire to see off our ancestors.
京都(きょうと)の大文字(だいもんじ)は有名(ゆうめい)な送(おく)り火(び)だ。
Kyoto's Daimonji is a famous farewell fire.
お盆(ぼん)の最終日(さいしゅうび)に送(おく)り火(び)を灯(とも)して、先祖(せんぞ)の霊(れい)をあの世(よ)に送(おく)り届(とど)ける。
On the last day of Obon, farewell fires are lit to guide the ancestral spirits back to the other world.

A ritual fire lit on the final day of お盆(ぼん) (typically August 16) to send the spirits of ancestors back to the afterlife. The opposite ritual is 迎(むか)え火(び) (welcoming fire), lit at the start of Obon to guide spirits home.

Common collocations

  • 送(おく)り火(び)を焚(た)く (to light a farewell fire)
  • 送(おく)り火(び)を灯(とも)す (to light a farewell fire)
  • 大文字(だいもんじ)送(おく)り火(び) (Daimonji farewell fire)

The most famous 送(おく)り火(び) is Kyoto's 五山(ござん)送(おく)り火(び) (Gozan no Okuribi), where enormous bonfires are lit on five mountains surrounding the city. The most iconic of the five is the 大(だい) character on Mount Daimonji.

Related Words

See also: 迎(むか)え火(び) (welcoming fire (Obon))
general
Added 2026.3.1 21:07 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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