The Bon Festival

Also known as the festival of Obon, this is a celebration which honors the dead in Japan. It is said that on the three days in which the festival takes place, dead ancestors come back as spirits and visit the homes of their family. It takes place from either July 13-16 or August 13-16, depending on the area. This discrepancy is due to the government switching from the Lunar calendar to the Gregorian calendar during the Meiji Era--a time in which much westernization took place in Japan. (1)

The Bon Festival is practiced according to the teachings of Sâkyamuni Buddha, as preached by the Urabon Sutra. (2) According to the Sutra, a priest by the name of Mokuren found out that his mother who had recently died was suffering in the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts--a state of being in which the spirit is tormented by extreme hunger and thirst. To save her from her suffering, Mokuren was instructed by the Buddha to make offerings to priests who had just returned from their summer retreat. In doing so, his mother is released, and Mokuren dances in joy. This dance is known as Bon Odori and is practiced during the Bon Festival

The festival begins with a welcoming fire, called the mukaebi, as well as the visiting of families to the altars or graves of their loved ones where they light incense and clean. Throughout the three days, the Japanese celebrate--they eat special food, participate in games, and view the bon odori dances. None of the bon odori are the same, with many towns and areas having a dance and music specific to them, often depicting the history or culture of the region. (3) Below is one such bon odori dance:



Finally, the Bon Festival ends with a lighting of lanterns which are sent down rivers. This occurs on the final day, and is called the Toro Nagashi It is believed that by lighting and sending these paper lanterns down rivers, it is leading the ancestor spirits home to the spirit world once more. Along with this lighting of paper lanterns is the ending fire, known as okuribi which is similar to the mukaebi. The toro nagashi can be seen below:



(1) "Bon A-B-C", last modified 2002.
(2) "What is Obon?", Shingon Buddhist International Institute, last modified 1998.
(3) "Bon Festival", Michigan State University, accessed October 19, 2013.