Obon

Obon, or simply Bon, is a Japanese festival honouring the spirits of ancestors. It is held in mid-July in some regions and mid-August in many others, depending on whether the old lunar calendar or the modern calendar is followed. It is one of the most important family occasions of the Japanese year, and many people travel to their family homes for it.

Origins

The name comes from Ullambana, known in Japanese as Urabon. It is linked to a Chinese Buddhist scripture, the Ullambana or Yulanpen Sutra. In this text, Maudgalyāyana (Moggallāna in Pali), one of the Buddha's chief disciples, uses his meditative powers to look for his late mother. He finds her reborn as a hungry ghost, suffering and unable to eat. The Buddha advises him to make offerings to the community of monks at the end of the rains, and the merit of this giving relieves her suffering.

From this story grew the Ghost Festival in China and related festivals in Korea, Vietnam and Japan. In Japan, Buddhist practice combined with older customs of honouring ancestors, so Obon is both Buddhist and part of wider Japanese culture.

Customs

Practices vary by region and family, but some are widely shared. Families clean and visit graves, and prepare a special altar with offerings of food, fruit and flowers. At the start of the festival, lanterns or small fires are lit to guide the spirits home. A priest may be invited to chant sutras at the household shrine.

Bon Odori, a community folk dance, is held in town squares and temple grounds, with each region having its own songs and steps. At the end of the festival, fires are lit again to send the spirits off. In some places floating lanterns are set on rivers or the sea, a custom called tōrō nagashi.

Many Japanese Buddhist schools, including the Pure Land traditions, observe Obon. Jōdo Shinshū temples often present it as a time of gratitude to ancestors and to the Buddha Amitābha, rather than of making offerings for the dead.

Obon outside Japan

Japanese communities around the world, such as in Hawaii, Brazil and North America, keep Obon with dances and gatherings. For many people it is a chance to remember family members, reflect on impermanence and express gratitude for those who came before.