On this mountain, the kanji “myō” and “hō” are lit at the same time. These appear in the Buddhist lotus sutra, “Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō.” As you might surmise, a pious community lives at the foot of this mountain. The temples are flashpoints for the region, where they band together in solidarity. Buddhist priests then chant sutras from the start of the bonfire to the end, as they see their ancestors off.

Also, the locals each take charge of separate fire beds, the responsibility of which is handed down through the generations. The community elders take the safety of their children and grandchildren seriously; they say that, to ensure their safety when lighting the fire beds, they keep their methods – from wood-drying to fire-lighting – a secret.

When the cue arrives, the Myōhō characters will instantly blaze to life, as if by the flip of a switch, regulating it with the same immediacy until it burns out. You can feel the community’s powerful solidarity.