Obon

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title: "Obon" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["observances-honoring-the-dead", "buddhist-festivals-in-japan", "buddhist-holidays", "culture-of-japan", "july-observances", "august-observances", "articles-containing-video-clips", "observances-set-by-the-traditional-japanese-calendar", "september-observances", "buddhism-and-death", "bon-festival"] description: "Japanese Buddhist custom" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obon" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Japanese Buddhist custom ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox holiday"]

Field	Value
holiday_name	Obon Festival
type	Japanese
image	Osurasma, or praying a soul out of purgatory-J. M. W. Silver.jpg
imagesize	250px
caption	A depiction of Obon in the late Edo period
nickname	Bon
observedby	Japanese people
longtype	Religious, Cultural
significance	Honors the spirits of one's ancestors
date	{{Plainlist
date
date
date
date
relatedto
duration	4 days
frequency	Annual
::

| holiday_name = Obon Festival | type = Japanese | image = Osurasma, or praying a soul out of purgatory-J. M. W. Silver.jpg | imagesize = 250px | caption = A depiction of Obon in the late Edo period | official_name = | nickname = Bon | observedby = Japanese people | litcolor = | longtype = Religious, Cultural | significance = Honors the spirits of one's ancestors | begins = | ends = | date = {{Plainlist|

• August 15
• July 15 (Kantō)
• 15th day of the 7th lunar month}} | date = | date = | date = | date = | celebrations = | observances = | relatedto = | duration = 4 days | frequency = Annual Obon or just Bon is a fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This syncretic folk Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as ja.

The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however, its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendar was changed to the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, the localities in Japan responded differently, which resulted in three different times of Obon. Traditionally, Obon was celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

Obon is now observed during one of the following periods:

• July 15 of the Gregorian calendar (Shichigatsu Bon or "Bon in July"): Observed in Tokyo and some urban areas of the Tōhoku and Hokuriku regions where agricultural busy seasons do not overlap with the festival dates. This practice is sometimes referred to as "Tokyo Obon."
• August 15 of the Gregorian calendar (Hachigatsu Bon or "Bon in August"; Tsukiokure Bon or "Month Later Obon"): This is the most commonly celebrated time across Japan.

These days are not listed as public holidays, but it is customary for people to be given leave.

Within the Japanese diaspora, the obon is usually tied to a fundraising event for a temple, church, and even non-sectarian Japanese community organizations. As a result, Japanese organizations within a particular region will often coordinate their dates on different weekends throughout the summer as the participants were not expected to be given leave during the workweek if the date fell on a weekday, and to allow for the greater community to support each other's events. It isn't uncommon for families in regions with a larger Japanese emigrant population to visit multiple festivals in support of the greater community.

History of {{transliteration|ja|Obon matsuri}}

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Gozanokuribi_Daimonji2.jpg" caption="[[Gozan no Okuribi]]}} bonfire lit during the Obon festival"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Bon-odori-2014.ogv" caption="(video) Neighborhood Bon Odori festival in [[Adachi-ku]], [[Tokyo]] (2014)"] ::

The Japanese Obon Festival is heavily influenced by the Ghost Festival of Buddhism and the Chinese Taoist zh (中元) Festival.

Before Buddhism came to Japan, there was already a custom in place to beckon the deceased home to their families twice a year, both in spring and autumn, on the night of the full moon. This custom already had a close connection to the ancestor-veneration characteristic it has in modernity.

The Buddhist tradition originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana (Mokuren), a disciple of the Buddha, who used his supernatural powers to look upon his deceased mother only to discover she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering. Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Mokuren did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past selflessness and the sacrifices she had made for him during her lifetime. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release from suffering and grateful for her many kindnesses, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes the ja or "Bon Dance", a time during which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated. See also: Ullambana Sutra.

In recorded history, Obon was practised as a Buddhist tradition first under the reign of Empress Suiko (592—628). By 733, it seems to have been introduced as a customary Buddhist holiday in Japan within the court.

Etymology

The Japanese word ja is composed of the honorific prefix ja and the word ja. The ja portion is from the longer Japanese names or , in turn from the Chinese terms 盂蘭盆 (zh) or 盂蘭盆會 (zh).

The Chinese terms are often described as deriving from Sanskrit sa meaning "hanging upside down", in reference to souls suffering in hell. However, the Sanskrit word was sparse, if at all, attested; in addition, it would be the present participle of verb Sanskrit sa ("to hang", intransitive), with no inherent "upside-down" meaning.

Moreover, neither the purported meaning of "hanging upside-down" nor the verifiable meaning of "hanging" match the semantics very well, given that the ja ceremonies are about helping the dead, closer in meaning to the "helping" sense of the Pali verb pi ("raising, helping"), present participle of pi ("to raise up, to help"). This suggests that explanations of the dead hanging upside-down in hell are more likely to be folk etymologies based on a mistaken connection to the Sanskrit verb, rather than a more direct semantic link to the Pali. Alternatively, Takakusu Junjiro propounded that the origin was in fact Pali pi, a colloquial corruption of the Pali pi ("raising up; saving; helping"), and that the etymology was mistakenly attributed to Sanskrit.

Practices

{{transliteration|ja|Bon Odori}}

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Albuquerque_Bridge-Sasebo_River,_Sasebo.jpg" caption="Sasebo]] River during Obon."] ::

is a style of dancing performed during Obon. It is a folk entertainment, which has a history of nearly 600 years. Originally a ja folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region. Each region has a local dance, as well as different music. The music can be songs specifically pertinent to the spiritual message of Obon, or local ja folk songs. Consequently, the Bon dance appears different from region to region. Hokkaidō is known for the folk-song ja. The song ja takes its namesake from the capital of Japan. ja in Gujō in Gifu Prefecture is famous for all night dancing. ja is a folk song from Shiga Prefecture. Residents of the Kansai area will recognize the famous ja. Tokushima in Shikoku is very famous for its ja, and in the far south, one can hear the ja of Kagoshima.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Obon_offering.jpg" caption="An Obon offering"] ::

The way in which the dance is performed is also different in each region, though the typical Bon dance involves people lining up in a circle around a high wooden scaffold made especially for the festival called a ja. The ja is usually also the bandstand for the musicians and singers of the Obon music. Some dances proceed clockwise, and some dances proceed counter-clockwise around the ja. Some dances reverse during the dance, though most do not. At times, people face the ja and move towards and away from it. Still some dances, such as the Kagoshima ja dance, and the Tokushima ja, simply proceed in a straight line through the streets of the town.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Tokyo_Zōjō-ji_temple_festival_20100730_7109.jpg" caption="Bon Odori}} dancers (30 July 2010 at [[Zōjō-ji]] in Tokyo)"] ::

The dance of a region can depict the area's history and specialization. For example, the movements of the dance of the ja (the "coal mining song") of old Miike Mine in Kyushu show the movements of miners, i.e. digging, cart pushing, lantern hanging, etc.; the above-mentioned ja mimics the work of fishermen such as hauling in the nets. All dancers perform the same dance sequence in unison.

There are other ways in which a regional Bon dance can vary. Some dances involve the use of different kinds of fans, others involve the use of small towels called ja which may have colourful designs. Some require the use of small wooden clappers, or ja, during the dance.

The music that is played during the Bon dance is not limited to Obon music and ja; some modern ja hits and kids' tunes written to the beat of the ja are also used to dance to during Obon season.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/六本木ヒルズ盆踊り三本締め.jpg" caption="Bon Odori}} dancers (27 August 2017 at [[Roppongi Hills]] in Tokyo)"] ::

The Bon dance tradition is said to have started in the later years of the Muromachi period as a public entertainment. In the course of time, the original religious meaning has faded, and the dance has become associated with summer.

Altar

The altar in Japanese households, kamidana, are given care by the families with decorations and offerings such as flowers and straw figures of animals and food. They do this not only for their own deceased but for the souls of the households who no longer have relatives within their vicinity. The offerings are placed in front of the tablets with the deceased person's name on it.

Lights

Families who have lost a family member during a current year are known to give special attention to the preparations of Obon. They will light a small fire on the first evening of the festival to guide the souls back home. In the past people would light a line of lights towards the cemetery to make sure the souls would find their way.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Syoryou-uma,obon,katori-city,japan.JPG" caption="ushi uma}}, vegetable decorations made for O-bon"] ::

On the third day of the festivities the souls are sent back to the other side with fires to see them off, this is referred to as Okuribi ("sending fire"), or, in a larger scale, the Burning of the Character Big in the mountain. In this practice small lanterns are used that float down a river. This symbolises the way of the souls back to the world of the dead. Both these fires mark the commencement (mukaebi) as well of the closing of the festival.

Shōryō Uma and Ushi Uma

Another significant ritual practiced during the Obon festival in Japan is to craft a cucumber horse and eggplant cow, known as or , that act as a vessel for the ancestors to come back home and return, respectively.

Clothing

As Obon occurs in the heat of the summer, participants traditionally wear ja, a kind of light cotton kimono. Many Obon celebrations include a huge carnival with rides, games, and summer festival foods.

Festivals of shared origin

Buddhism

Main article: Ghost Festival

Ryukyu Islands

Ryukyuans' version of the Obon celebration is known as ryu. Observed in Okinawa and the Amami Islands, this version follows the lunar calendar, so the dates change yearly on the Gregorian calendar, sometimes extending into September. The dance performed in the Okinawa Islands is known as ryu. Similarly, the Yaeyama Islands have rys, Yonaguni Island have yoi.

Korea

The Korean version of the Obon celebration is known as ko. Participants present offerings at Buddhist shrines and temples, and masked dances are performed. It is as much an agricultural festival as a religious one.

Vietnam

Main article: Tết Trung Nguyên

Hinduism

sa (literally "fortnight of the ancestors") is a 16–lunar day period in Hindu calendar when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors (sa), especially through food offerings. sa is considered by Hindus to be inauspicious, given the death rite known as sa or sa performed during the ceremony.

Celebrations outside Japan

Philippines

In the Philippines, Filipinos of Japanese descent, with support from the Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai Inc., Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School, Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku, and various other Japanese Filipino-based organizations, hold an Obon festival every year along with other Japanese-based Filipino festivals, to celebrate the ancestors of Filipinos of Japanese descent, and to celebrate the friendship between Japan and the Philippines.

Argentina

In Argentina, the Obon Festival is celebrated by Japanese communities during the summer of the southern hemisphere. The biggest festival is held in Colonia Urquiza, in La Plata. It takes place on the sports ground of the La Plata Japanese School. The festival also includes ja shows and typical dances.

Brazil

Obon Festival is celebrated every year in many Japanese communities all over Brazil, as Brazil is home to the largest Japanese population outside Japan. São Paulo is the main city of the Japanese community in Brazil, and also features the major festival in Brazil, with street ja dancing and ja dance. It also features ja and ja contests. The festival also features a variety of Japanese food and drink, art and dance. Obon is also celebrated in communities of Japanese immigrants and their descendants and friends throughout South America: Obon festivals can be found in the states of Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Goiás, Amazonas, Pará (Tomé-Açu), Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pernambuco, Bahia, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Brasília.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, Obon Festival is also celebrated every year in Esplanade, Penang, Shah Alam Stadium in Shah Alam, Selangor, and also Universiti Malaysia Sabah at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This celebration, which is a major attraction for the state of Selangor, is the brainchild of the Japanese Expatriate & Immigrant's Society in Malaysia. In comparison to the celebrations in Japan, the festival is celebrated on a much smaller scale in Penang, Selangor and Sabah, and is less associated with Buddhism and more with Japanese culture. Held mainly to expose locals to a part of Japanese culture, the festival provides the experience of a variety of Japanese food and drinks, art and dance, with the vast number of Japanese companies in Malaysia taking part to promote their products.

United States and Canada

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Iwanaga-dancing-at-obon-Portland-State-University.jpg" caption="Yoshio Iwanaga demonstrates a ''bon odori''"] ::

Obon festivals have been celebrated in North America, particularly by Japanese-Americans or Japanese-Canadians affiliated with Buddhist temples and organizations. The first recorded obon in the U.S. was organized by Japanese emigrant laborers on a sugar plantation in Wainaku, Hawaii in 1885. Private obons were also organized by Japanese immigrant organizations in hotels and private residences on the West Coast with the first recorded event in 1923. Buddhist Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga has been credited with popularizing obon in America with the first public bon odori at the Buddhist Church of San Francisco in 1931. Iwanaga also organized the first major obon following WW2 in celebration of Buddhist Churches of America's (BCA) Golden Jubilee in 1948, with an bon odori at San Francisco’s City Hall Plaza, attracting more than 1,000 participants.

BCA temples in the U.S. typically celebrate Obon Festival with both religious obon observances and traditional ja dancing around a ja. Many temples also hold a cultural and food bazaar providing a variety of cuisine, art, and taiko performances to display features of Japanese culture and Japanese-American history to the greater community. While obon festivals are usually coordinated between various organizations to allow participants to support fellow churches and temples within the Japanese-American community, as in Japan, regional variations to the dances can be found between different communities. Even some Japanese Christian churches in America have adopted some aspects of obon with cultural festivals in the spring tied to the Easter holiday.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Bon_Dance_in_Keei,_Hawaii.jpg" caption="Hawaii"] ::

The "Obon season" continues to play an important part of the present-day culture and life of Hawaii and are held among the five major islands on weekend evenings from June to August. They are held usually at Buddhist missions, but sometimes at Shinto missions or at shopping centres. At some Buddhist missions, the dance is preceded by a simple ritual where the families of the deceased in the past year burn incense for remembrance, but otherwise the event is non-sectarian. The songs played differ among the regions, however typically starts with ja from Kyushu, continues with songs such as ja, ja, Asatoya Yunta and Ashibina from Okinawa Prefecture, and modern dances such as the Baseball ja and ja for children, and typically ends with ja, celebrating abundant harvest. The participants, Japanese descendants and the people of all races, dance in a big circle around the ja, the central tower set up for the dance, from which recorded songs are broadcast. As on the mainland, bon dance lessons are given by volunteers in larger cities before the actual events.

Japanese museums and other cultural organizations also hold summer festivals inspired by obon, such as the Morikami Museum in Florida, and the Japanese Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, which has hosted an Obon festival over Labor Day weekend every year since 1977. Known as the Japanese festival, it is a collaboration with several Japanese-American organizations, and hosts thousands of people over a three-day period.

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Marinus Willem de Visser: Ancient Buddhism in Japan – Sutras and Ceremonies in Use in the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. and their History in Later Times, volume 1, Paul Geuthner, Paris 1928–1931; Brill, Leiden 1935, pp. 58–115
• Robert J. Smith: Ancestor Worship in Contemporary Japan, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California 1974.
• Ensho Ashikaga (1950), The Festival for the Spirits of the Dead in Japan, Western Folklore 9 (3), 217–228

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