noun
life release ceremony; ceremony of releasing captive animals
A Buddhist ritual in which captive animals are released to accumulate merit and express compassion. The term is primarily encountered in religious or historical contexts.
放生会は、捕らえた生き物を野に放つ仏教の儀式です。
Hōjō-e is a Buddhist ceremony in which captured animals are released into the wild.
From 放生 (hōjō, 'release of living beings') + 会 (e, 'gathering' or 'ceremony'). The term is a direct borrowing from Chinese Buddhist terminology.