Five mountains in Kyoto will be illuminated with huge bonfires on Saturday, the last day of the Bon festival, when ancestors' spirits are welcomed back to the world of the living.

The fires will be lit at 8 p.m. on Daimonji, at 8:05 p.m. on Myoho, at 8:10 p.m. on Funagata, at 8:15 p.m. on Hidari Daimonji, and at 8:20 p.m. on Toriigata. They will burn for about 30 minutes, and can be seen from various places around the city.

For details, check out www.gozan-okuribi.com (in Japanese).

Suita museum to show film 'Here and There'

The National Museum of Ethnology in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, will show the film "Here and There" from 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 30.

The American-Mexican-Spanish movie, about a Mexican man who returns to his small village to be with his family after working in the U.S., is in Spanish and Aztec with Japanese subtitles. There is no fee to watch the film, but viewers need to pay ¥420 to enter the museum. Numbered tickets for the film will be distributed from 10 a.m. on the day.

The museum is about a 15-minute walk from Koen Higashiguchi Station on the Osaka Monorail.

For more details, check www.minpaku.ac.jp/museum/event/fs/movies1408 (in Japanese) or call 06-6878-8210.

Foreigners sought to carry festival shrine

The Nishinomiya City International Association is seeking non-Japanese people who are willing to carry the portable shrine during the Nishinomiya Festival on Sept. 23.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 5:30 p.m. Participation is ¥500. Reservations are required by Sept. 5 and can be made by calling 0798-32-8680 or by sending an email to [email protected].

Participants are required to assemble in front of Nishinomiya Shrine, a seven-minute walk from Hanshin Nishinomiya Station.

To find out more, visit www.nishi.or.jp/homepage/nia/ (in Japanese).

Disaster prevention event in Nagoya ward

Nakamura Ward in Nagoya will hold a disaster prevention training session between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 31 and is calling for foreigners to join in the event.

Participants will observe first aid and rescue procedures, and some of them will be asked to play the role of injured people. Translators will be available. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 052-581-5689 or sending an email to [email protected].

The venue is Hibitsu Elementary School, a 13-minute walk from Honjin Station on the Higashiyama subway line.

More information is available at www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/archives/7395 (in English).

Toyokawa festival to showcase 2,000 fireworks

Toyokawa's traditional fireworks festival, to be held on Aug. 23, will feature about 2,000 fireworks. Of these, some 400 huge ones will be carried around and set off in the hands of men.

The event will take place from 6:45 p.m. until 9:40 p.m. A number of reserved seats will be available for a fee so that spectators can watch the display in comfort.

The venue is Toyokawa Park, a five-minute walk from Suwacho Station on the Meitetsu Toyokawa Line.

For details about the event, visit hanabi.walkerplus.com/detail/ar0623e00978/ (in Japanese) or call 0533-86-4101.