August 16, 2023: Kyoto, Fireworks, Goazan no Okuribi, My Aunt （京都、花火、大文字焼き、叔母）
It was when I moved to where I am now living that I was fascinated by the fireworks festival. That was about twenty years ago when I was in my late thirties. Before that, I had seen no big fireworks festivals such as the ones held in Tokyo. This is due to my hometown, Kyoto. Kyoto City has been staying away from them since I was a child. I had hardly seen any fireworks festivals in Kyoto. I had only seen it once in the city. It was when I was around 8 years old that I saw it. It took place around the Katuragawa River, and I remember watching it from the Matsuo Bridge area with my parents and sister. After that, I had seen no fireworks festivals in the city until I left Kyoto for work. I do not know exactly why no fireworks festivals have been held in Kyoto. But one of the reasons might be that Kyoto has an alternative event to them. That is the Gozan no Okuribi festival. The festival is not a fireworks event. Instead, it is a bonfire event. So it is not as colourful and spectacular as fireworks. It is the event to see off the spirits, who come back to their spiritual world after visiting their living relatives. When I lived in Kyoto, I used to go to see my aunt on this day and I could see the event from the roof of her apartment building. When the bonfires were lit, they filled Kyoto with a solemn atmosphere. After the event, I used to have dinner with her and enjoy chatting with her.
She is now in her early nineties but is still in good health. She gets weak in her legs but has had nothing wrong in other parts. I hope that she will live as long as possible.
ボクが花火大会を楽しむようになったのは、約20年前の30代後半に、今住んでいるところに越して来てからです。それ以前は、東京で行われているような大きな花火大会を見たことがありませんでした。これは、ボクの故郷の京都のせいかもしれません。京都は、ボクが子供の頃から花火大会には縁がありませでした。京都では一度しか花火大会をみた記憶がありません。それは、ボクが8歳ぐらいの頃でした。桂川で花火大会が行われたので、両親と妹と一緒に、松尾橋のあたりでみた記憶があります。でも、それから、ボクが仕事で京都を離れるまで、花火大会はありませんでした。京都では花火大会が行われない正確な理由はわかりません。でも、花火大会に代わる京都の行事が理由かもしれません。それが、大文字の送り火です。これは花火大会ではなく、焚火の行事なので、花火大会ほど華やかではありません。この行事は、お盆んでこの世に戻ってきた精霊があの世に戻るのを見送るためのものです。
京都に住んでいる時は、この日になるとマンションに住む叔母のところに行き、屋上から大文字焼きをみたものです。焚火がともると、京都は厳かな雰囲気に包まれました。その後、叔母と夕食をしながら、おしゃべりをした楽しんだものです。その叔母も、もう90歳をこえました。足は弱りましたが、それ以外に悪いところはありません。できる限り長生きしてもらいたいです。
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