Obon: Japan’s Biggest Summer Holiday

Obon is a traditional holiday in Japan that is held so one can pay tribute to their ancestors. The Japanese people prepare lanterns and an altar to welcome their spirits back home. The word Obon is derived from the pronunciation of “upside down” in Sanskrit. The reason for this is that it’s believed that the spirits of the people are suffering as if they are being hung upside-down, making this particular celebration a ritual for striving to save their suffering souls. The festival’s origins can be traced back to the Buddhist “Obon” story in which the Buddha’s disciple, Maha Maudgalyayana, tried to save his mother who fell into the realm of hunger after death. He used a Urabon, a bowl-like container, to make rice for the Buddha and other disciples, in the hope of repaying for the bad deeds his mother did so that she could escape from her suffering.

Obon is observed from the 13th to the 15th day of the 7th month. However, due to the difference between the solar and lunar calendars, which month is considered the 7th can be different. Therefore, Obon is celebrated at various times in different regions depending on which calendar they use. In Japan, the Obon break is typically between August 13th and the 16th.

The Ritual of Obon

The festival itself can be broken down into three parts: Mukae-bon, which is held on the 13th, Bon-kuyo, held on the 14th and 15th, and, finally,  Okuri-bon on the 16th. During Mukae-ban, Japanese people would pay a visit to the tomb of their ancestors to clean their grave. After this, they burn the “mukae-bi” in the evening, welcoming the spirits back to their homes.

One tradition observed on this day is to make “Syouryou-uma” and “Syouryou-ushi”, the special decorations for Obon. The Japanese people believe that the spirits will come home during the Obon period, and the decorations are seen as the transportation for ancestors to travel freely between the living and the afterlife. Syouryou-uma represents the horse for the spirits, with Japanese people inserting bamboo sticks into a cucumber to form the shape of a horse, hoping they can use the horse to ride home quickly. Thus, the mukae-bi is seen as a guide for the syouryou-uma. The Syouryou-ushi is the cow for the spirits, which is made of eggplant and bamboo sticks to form the shape. The Japanese hope that their ancestors can take their time and bring a lot of tributes with the cow as they make their way back to the afterlife.

The Japanese also celebrate Obon by performing obon-odori to welcome the ancestors back. Dancers dress in yukata and dance to the rhythms of taiko drums. A famous variation of obon-odori is gujo-odori in Gujo, Gifu. Here, anyone regardless of gender and age can join the dance. This particular dance has a history of over 400 years and has been listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. This annual event usually starts in mid-July and can continue all the way to early September, making it the longest obon-odori celebration in Japan. During the Obon week, the dance will even be performed all night long, starting at 8 pm and continuing until 5 am.

In the evening of okuri-bon, the Japanese burn “okuri-bi” (which roughly translates to “send-off fire”) to pay their respects and say farewell, sending their ancestors back to the afterlife. Two ways that the spirits can travel back to the spirit world are through mountains and water. Gozan no Okuribi is the most famous of these festivals and is held in Gozan, Kyoto. The ceremony begins by burning a bonfire created in the shape of a “daimonji” (大) character on the mountain, as well as many other characters and symbols to represent the celebration. Another okuri-bi ceremony hosted in Kyoto is Arashiyama toro nagashi in Arashiyama, where people place paper lanterns into the flowing water of the river.

Obon is the highlight of summer in Japan. It can also be seen as the summer break for people who already started working or are still at school. It is the time of the year when everyone comes home together and pays tribute to their ancestors. For people visiting Japan in August, you can also experience and celebrate Obon by checking out the public events mentioned above. But this is just the beginning, there are many more events held across Japan during the season. You can also check out the tourism association website of the city you are visiting for more specific information on their local events!

 

Featured Photo: Natalya Erofeeva

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