Temples and fire festivals in kyoto...

During Obon Leah and I took an afternoon trip to Kyoto and visited Kiyomizu temple which was first built in 798 but now consists of reconstructed buildings dating form 1633.

Otawa-no-taki...waterfall...the waters are believed to have therapeutic powers?

August the 16th was also the night of the Daimonji Yaki fire festival...when huge fires are lit on 5 mountains in the form of Chinese characters...the fires are lit to bid farewell to the souls of ancestors. The fire above was the first one to be lit...at about 8pm and is the Chinese character for dai (great). Leah and i watched it from the banks of the Kamo-gawa, we arrived sometime after 7pm and people had already staked out the best spots...by the time 8pm rolled around the place was packed!