The Japanese believe their ancestors' spirits return from the other world to visit during Obon in mid-August. The Gozan-no-okuribi ceremony to send them off is held in Kyoto at the end of Obon on August 16. Bonfires are lit on five Kyoto mountains as guides for the spirits to find their way back safely. Watch the locals' prepare for this fiery traditional event in the Matsugasaki area of Kyoto, where two of the bonfires are lit, and discover the ancient customs of the living and the dead.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is famous worldwide for the vermillion shrine gates that line the paths in the mountain behind it, where its origins lie. Worshippers seeking happiness have visited this sacred ground where the deities rest for centuries. One family prays religiously every month for business prosperity. Another has the divided spirit of the deity protecting their home and business. Kyotoites live for the future, every day in thanks, through the shrine that embodies their unwavering faith.

Noh is one of the oldest, extant performing arts and is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It has been performed in Kyoto some 650 years, and its form remains largely unchanged. Through few moves and props, the plays portray human drama around age-old themes, such as love and parent-child bonds. Protagonists are mostly spirits of the dead telling of their earthly grief and joy. Within the seemingly expressionless masks lies a subtle beauty, drawing spectators into a dream world.