Obon (お盆) and the Bon festival dance (盆踊り) in Japan

This year we are having summer with SO high temperature all over Japan. Today, the news said that in one part of Japan temperature got higher than 40℃(over 104 with Fahrenheit)... Unusual Smothering Heat Wave, "酷暑, kokusho" we are experiencing.

Obon (お盆) season is coming in Japan;

I wish to introduce one fun event during this season.  The Bon festival dance is held as community activity (mostly) by using the playground of school etc. The music and the dance from the video(You-tube) is the most popular one, which I can still dance without instruction. It is the old folk song sung by coal mine workers. I reminisce my mother put yukata (summer kimono) on me and dance together with her and friends.

I wish to introduce you obon in Japan by summarizing from my former obon post. My old friends, you may be already familiar with this. Please skip reading below p;) 

The Obon week in mid August (actual date is from the 13th to the 15th) is one of Japan's major holiday seasons. It is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating our ancestors, as their spirits believed to return this world in order to visit their relatives. Normally on 12th, I clean and decorate our family altar with flowers and offering (fruits, some sweets)   Renew the candles and incense. 

I wished to show an example of what the family altars look like. This one from PC(advertisement) looks rather gorgeous one and original wood color is more common).  As it is not form private family, so no "spirit tablet"; I thought it is ok to put here.　Visiting graves while children must mean foster them the respects for the ancestors. I remember being taken mine by my parents, uncle and aunt together; good occasion to hear a little anecdote about our old relatives.  

Obon in Japan

The Obon week in mid August (actual date is from the 13th to the 15th) is one of Japan's major holiday seasons. Any transportation get really crowded to visit loved one. It is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating our ancestors, as their spirits believed to return this world in order to visit their relatives. It’s a great opportunity for dispersed families to get together and spend time with.  

                                                                                   (I hope you bear with me if you remember similar post from last year)

Let me tell you how we spend this season; 

Before Obon, around 10th, weeding and cleaning the family grave to prepare Obon. Decorate the "Obon Lantern" in front of the family altar like the picture from pc.

Normally on 12th, I clean and decorate our family altar with flowers and offering (fruits, some sweets)   Renew the candles and incense. 

From 13th to 15th,  we visit family grave with flower.  It is LOVELY to see many graves have flowers offered and show they had visits.　During these days, priests are supposed to visit his parishioners' house to recite Buddhist sutras. However, it is too short for them to visit all the parishioners for only 3 days, they do this really flexible way and ours came on 5th this year.

This picture is from pc. I wished to show an example of what the family altars look like (rather gorgeous one and original wood color is more common).  This one is from pc (advertisement) not from  private family, so no "spirit tablet"; I thought it is ok to put here.　Visiting graves while children must mean foster them the respects for the ancestors. I remember being taken mine by my parents, uncle and aunt together; good occasion to hear a little anecdote about our old relatives. 

Obon and my Busy August

The Obon week in mid August is one of Japan's three major holiday seasons, so transportation get really busy to visit loved ones. It is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating our ancestors, as their spirits believed to return this world in order to visit their relatives. I take this season kind of sacred.

This kind of special lanterns (pic from pc-site) for Obon are put in front of the family altar (2 for one set). And we have our family monk's visits to recite Buddhist sutras. Today, our family monk visited us, (haha, too early but ours is the first house for him to visit his supporters). And we visit family grave yard. Obon is one of three occasions to pay ancestors a visit besides Higan (two periods of seven days with the middle day falling on the spring or autumn equinox). First Obon after death is usually commemorated like the other set memorial service year. My brother who was single died last year, I'm supposed to hold "first Obon" and "first year memorial service" for him this year.


I've already posted about memorial services →here  these occasions are really good chances to get together and see relatives. I wonder if there're occasions  for relatives (in remembrance of the ancestors) to get together  in western cultures.  
Anyways, I will have to spend a bit busy August.