Summer in Japan- Obon

This post is about one of the most important Buddhist festivals in Japan. Obon (or Bon) is the time of year when your ancestors spirits come to this world in order to visit relatives. Obon is not an official public holiday but most people can absent from work at this time. Most people usually go home to their parents' house to celebrate Obon.

Who celebrates when?

Obon is celebrated for three days between 1st July and 15 August. Why is it organized on different dates? Well, in the Meiji era, the Gregorian calendar replaced the Lunar calendar but not all regions in Japan accepted it at the same time. My grandfather and father celebrate in July.

• Shichigatsu Bon is celebrated around the 15th July. People who live in the Tokyo, Yokohama and Tohoku region celebrate then.
• Kyu Bon is celebrated on the 15th of the seventh lunar month. People who live in the north of the Kanto region, Chugoku, Shikoku and the south western islands celebrate according to the moon.
• Hachigatsu Bon is celebrated around the 15th August. The rest of Japan celebrate then.

What happens during Obon

NB: There are many variations on how Obon is celebrated. This is a rough overview of the festival

• Japanese people get together with their family and spend time together.

• The house and their graves must be tidy for the spirits.

• Before the spirits arrive, most Japanese families set up an decorative altar.  My father and grandfather decorated my grandmother's altar with fllowers, fruit and lanterns.

• How Japanese families celebrate Obon depends on the region that they live in. Some Japanese families help their ancestors arrive by making vehicles for them. As they do not have cars to get here, they make a horse for them. The horse symbolises how they can arrive at the house as quickly as possible. It is made out of a cucumber and some chopsticks.  A cow or bull is also made which symbolises how the spirit can ride home at a leisurely pace. This is made out of an aubergine and chopsticks. Both animals are placed on a shelf on the altar. Recently, some families have gone to great lengths to make vehicles.  Click here to see some creative しょうりょうま (shouryouma) 

Shouryouma
I, Katorisi [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• On the 13th of August, light the chochin lantern

• In the evening,  go to their grave and welcome the spirits home. Lighting a pile of hemp or straw in front of the house helps the spirits find their way to your house. This is called 迎火 (mukaebi). If you light some inscense, the spirits can travel on the smoke on the horse to arrive at the house.

MukaebiI, Katorisi [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• Once they enter your house, offer them food and drink.

• On the last day of Obon, there will be a dance called the Bon Odori dance. The purpose of this dance is to welcome and send back all relatives as well as some angry spirits that have found their way here. Each region has its own Obon dance and music.

Bon OdoriBy Yasu (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

• For their final send off, you use fire just like you did to welcome them here. some regions float lanterns down a river to guide them back to their world.

Tourou nagashi
By 藤谷良秀 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

This festival is very similar to the Mexican festival, Dia de los Muertos. They remember and celebrate the dead on the 31 October.

This is probably going to be my last post on Japanese summers. I may continue this series if you would like me to. Please comment if you liked this post or if you want me to continue this series next year. Please subscribe and come back to this blog again. ＼(^o^)／