The fierce heat continues. Local people are out on Kyoto’s streets trying to beat the heat by sprinkling water in front of their homes. August in Kyoto also means the Gozan no Okuribi, or Daimonji, a traditional Buddhist rite marking the end of the Obon festival. Five giant bonfires are lit on the mountains surrounding the city, and we press our hands together in prayer to send off the spirits of deceased family members. In the deep darkness that falls after the fires go out, we bid summer farewell and feel the first taste of autumn. This month at Wakuden you can enjoy such dishes as “conger eel and jade eggplant” and “fig with white miso bean paste.”