Bon Festival, also known as obon is a holiday in Japan that celebrates ancestors. Although obon may be celebrated a bit differently depending upon the region, it is a big part of Japanese culture and is celebrated widely throughout the country.

Obon stems from Buddhist customs, and as one of the main religions in Japan is Buddhism, the holiday is well-known and many people do schedule their work vacations around it. As such, public places in Japan tend to get very busy, as it is considered a peak season and a busy travel season for domestic and international travel. People may go visit their home towns as many prefectures hold their own festivals surrounding the event some of which will be listed below.

What is Obon?

Obon also known as Bon Festival is an event that takes place over the course of several days commemorating and honoring ancestors. Obon centers around a belief that the spirits and souls of loved ones and dead ancestors come back to visit. Obon takes place usually around mid August, though specific dates for celebrations and festivities may depend upon the region. For the year of 2018, Bon Festival will begin August 13th and conclude on August 16th. 

During Obon, there are traditionally lanterns that are hung in front of houses, dances that are performed, and offerings(ozen) that are put out in front of altars, temples, and sometimes grave sites. Many people will also visit grave sites to clean and wash grave stones and grave markers of their family. This is common practice in Japan, and ladles for water are usually provided by the cemetery (and the people who run it) itself. The lanterns are to guide the ancestors home, and in some cases a communal fire is lit. The offerings are done as a way to unify the spirits with the living, and is symbolic way to treat them as the living. The dances known as bon odori is a specific type of dance done during the festival. There are conflicting reports as to the reason behind the dances including doing it as a sort of ritual to honor those that passed during the Gempei Wars. Still others say it is done in a way to be meant as if they are dancing with their ancestors. The reasoning may also depend upon region, so there is not one specific reason for the bon odori. At the end of the Bon festival period, fires and lanterns are once again put out to send the spirits home to where they came from. Sometimes lanterns are released on the water, lit with a candle that represents the soul of the ancestors. 

Top Three Obon Festivals

Here are just some of the most popular and/or well-known obon festivals in Japan.

1. Daimonji Gozan Okuribi Fire Festival | Kyoto

2. Awa Odori Festival | Tokushima, Shikoku

3. Gujo Odori Festival | Gifu

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