Landscape of SOUL: Mukae Bi-迎え火

In Japan, summer carries a quiet tradition called Obon — a time when we welcome the spirits of our ancestors and honor their memory. 
Fireworks and Obon are deeply connected. Long ago, fireworks were lit as mukaebi and okuribi — guiding fires to welcome and send off our loved ones.

Even today, fireworks festivals bloom across the summer sky, carrying prayers for peace and solace for those lost to illness, disaster, or war. One summer night, at a crowded street near a fireworks display, I met an elderly woman. She stood alone, holding a framed photograph of her late husband. As the colors blossomed above us, she gazed at the sky — her silhouette quiet, tender, unshaken. I felt my tears welling up as I watched her share this fleeting beauty with someone beyond this world.

Through it, I wish to whisper a simple truth: Time with the ones we love is never forever.
 Treasure what you can do today.
 Treasure who is beside you now.

Thank you all----ta2funk