Rediscovering Japan

Seasonal Events (August)

by tomizuta

Obon

Obon is the time of the year to greet the ancestors that return to their homes and families. Although there are areas that hold it at a different time, August 13th to 16th is the most common. During this period, people visit their family graveyards and give offerings to their ancestors. Many leave the cities to travel to the countryside to stay with their old folk. Every year the Shinkansen is fully booked and lengthy queues develop on motorways at the start and end of the obon week. The cities are quieter as many manufacturing companies are closed during the week and a lot of people are on vacation.

(Left: Other than in Buddhist temple sites, family graves in the countryside are located in the elevated back woods perhaps allowing the ancestors to command a better view of the villages. It was the starting day of obon and some graves had already been visited and cleaned. In Miyagawa, Chino City))

There are many versions as to how the custom originated. The majority suggest that the word “bon” originates from “urabon-e”, a Buddhist custom and belief originated in India and imported through China to provide food and offerings to monks which good conduct would help ancestors suffering in hell to enter paradise. Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 6th century, and the custom of “urabon-e”merged with the more ancient practice of paying respect to the ancestors in summertime to evolve into “bon”. I understand the custom was only among the nobles until the Edo era when it spread to the commoners and many obon events such as bon-odori (bon dancing) and other festivals developed.

( Left: It is thought that the present practice of obon evolved by blending traditional Shintoic belief of worship of ancestors and late Buddhist belief. So it wasn't surprising to find many visiting Shinto shrines during obon. At Kamisha of Suwa-taisha.)

As the basic belief is that the spirits of the ancestors return to their homes during obon, the custom is to visit and clean the family grave, in front of the house display lanterns to help the spirits find their homes, cucumber and chopsticks in the form of a horse so that the spirits may speedily come home and eggplant and chopsticks depicting an ox to allow the spirits to leave slowly and load goods to take back.


(Left: The bon dancing site in Serigasawa, Chino City had been set up in the grounds of the Senjuuin Buddhist temple of the Jodo sect.)

It is also customary for the communities to hold bon dancing events on Buddhist temple or school grounds during obon. The dance is said to be an offering to the returned spirits but in some places masked dancers depicting the returned spirits also participate. The famous Awa-odori of Tokushima City is a bon dancing held for four days during the obon week.


(Left: The bon dancing in Yukawa, Chino City was being held on the grounds of Kudokuji Buddhist temple of the Joudo sect. The sign on the left of the entrance gate tells that the obon is a four day period to meet our ancestors)

back to Seasonal Events