By Lindsay Wong
As depicted in popular culture and its tourism, Japan is known for its Obon festival, in which people dress up in traditional dress (yukata), play games, eat street food and dance along with dozens of people. This Japanese Buddhist festival takes place in mid-August every year over three days and has been celebrated for 500 years. Even though this Buddhist tradition takes place to honor the dead, the festival has a joyous atmosphere.
The Obon festival is similar to the Chinese Hungry Ghost festival, which occurs around a similar time of year. Because of their Buddhist foundation, both festivals require people to prepare offerings for the dead. Buddhists believe it is beneficial because it helps to free their spirits. The purpose of the Obon festival is not only to free ancestors’ spirits but also to relieve them of their pain. In more recent years, relatives return to their ancestral homes to visit and clean their deceased relatives’ graves. To guide the spirits back to their homes, families hang lanterns and make offerings of fruit, rice, sake, green tea, and sweets. These lanterns are also on display at the Obon festival, and at the end of the celebration, the lanterns are released into the nearest body of water.
The festival takes place on a warm summer night where small streets are lined up with games and stalls selling food.. Tasty Japanese street food like Takoyaki, Yakisoba and more are typically on sale, as well as ramune and kakigori (shaved ice), which is unbelievably refreshing. The main part of the Obon festival is Bon Odori, a traditional folk dance to welcome the ancestral spirits. This is performed around a raised stage where people are playing taiko drums to establish a rhythm. The style of dance varies between regions. Dozens of people dance and rotate around the raised stage in a circle. The stage has strings of floating lanterns hanging around it and anyone can join the dance – the moves are always simple.
Some of my fondest memories in Japan are celebrating the Obon festival. In my neighborhood, there were lively festivities every year. I remember dressing up in a pink yukata and making plans with my family to attend the festival. We often went between 5-6pm, before the street became packed with people. It’s hard to decide what to eat for the night because everything looks so delicious. Luckily, the festival lasts three days, so we could eat something new every day. As a child, I loved playing all the games, like yo-yo fishing and bouncy ball scooping, and bringing home prizes such as small toys. After grabbing a bottle of ramune and something substantial to eat, we used to sit near the raised stage under the lanterns and watch people perform Bon Odori. I even accompanied my mom and joined in a few times. I looked forward to the Obon festival every summer and it’s something I still miss, years after moving away.
Considering that the Obon festival is centered around spirits, the celebration is surprisingly cheerful. Attending the Obon festival is definitely worthwhile on a summer trip to Japan. It’s the perfect way to experience different aspects of Japan’s rich culture, including music, dress, food and tradition.
Sources:
Cover Image from Sugimoto USA
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