noun
A fire built in a metal basket or brazier, traditionally used for fishing at night, as a watch fire, or for illumination. In modern contexts, it can refer to a bonfire or campfire, but the image is often of a contained fire in a basket.
See also: 篝
川辺でかがり火を焚いて、夜釣りを楽しんだ。
We lit a bonfire by the river and enjoyed night fishing.
祭りの夜、境内にかがり火が焚かれていた。
On the night of the festival, bonfires were lit in the shrine grounds.
noun
brothel-keeper (Edo period)
Archaic slang from the Edo period, referring to a brothel-keeper. Not used in modern Japanese.
江戸時代、かがり火は遊郭の主人を指す隠語だった。
In the Edo period, かがり火 was a slang term for a brothel-keeper.
焚き火 is a general bonfire or open-air fire, often made with wood or fallen leaves, while かがり火 specifically implies a fire in a metal basket or brazier, often for a specific purpose like fishing or guarding.
キャンプファイヤー is a modern loanword for a recreational campfire, whereas かがり火 has a more traditional, functional nuance.
Derived from かがり (a basket or brazier for holding a fire) + 火 (fire). The kanji 篝 is a non-Jōyō character specifically meaning a basket for a fire. The archaic sense is a slang usage from the Edo period, likely unrelated to the literal meaning.