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Why should the living get to have all the fun anyway? Every seventh month of the year, Japan celebrates Obon お盆, one of the biggest holiday periods of the year. But what is Obon? In short, it is a wholesome family event mixed with a splash of the supernatural. It’s a holiday for remembrance and celebrating life with the people you love.
The best part? The ghosts of our ancestors long passed get to join the party too. Read on to learn more about what the holiday is and how it is celebrated.
What is Obon?
What is Obon exactly? Obon is a Japanese Buddhist holiday dedicated to family and loved ones who have passed. It is like a mix between Halloween and Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Families who celebrate Obon usually gather in their hometowns, visit gravestones, perform rituals, and attend festivals. But, not every family follows the same customs.
Obon dates vary by region. In most of Japan — including Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara — Obon runs from August 13th to 16th, with the core three-day observance falling August 13–15th. Tokyo and Yokohama celebrate a month earlier, from July 13th to 16th. Okinawa follows the lunar calendar, so its Obon dates shift from year to year.
History of Obon
The true origins of Obon are not entirely clear. But, it has over a 500-year history steeped in Buddhist traditions.
Legend has it that long ago a disciple of Buddha had a vision of his dead mother. She was trapped in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts (read: not a fun place to be). So, by making offerings of food and drink the disciple freed his mother’s spirit from suffering.
This story has slowly evolved over time and the meaning of Obon shifted along with it.
Today, Obon is treated as a family holiday to celebrate our loved ones here and gone, wear kimono and yukata, enjoy traditional festivals, and even eat Japanese street food.
How to celebrate Obon & Obon festivals
A mystical set of rituals guides Obon festivals and events. First, check out the ritual details and then learn where you can take part yourself.
Obon rituals
- Preparations. Before Obon begins, some families prepare two ornaments for their ancestors’ arrival called shōryō uma (精霊馬). These are an eggplant (representing a cow) and a cucumber (representing a horse) with chopsticks stuck inside. Families hope their ancestors will quickly return home on the horse and go back to the spirit world slowly on the cow.
- Welcoming ancestors. On the first day of Obon, revelers light a small fire called an ogara (麻幹). The ghosts of lost family members follow the smoke created by this fire to return to the land of the living.
- Visiting graves. Most families will make some time to visit graves to pay their respects. Cleaning the stones, bringing a family member’s favorite snack or sake, and offering water or flowers are all common practices here.
- Saying farewell. On the final day of Obon, it’s time to let go and say goodbye. Families guide the spirits back to the grave with traditional chōchin lanterns (提灯). You may also see floating lanterns in a ritual called toro nagashi (灯籠流し). Both are often a bittersweet, moving, and nostalgic scene.
Obon festivals
- Okuribi (送り火) Festivals. Okuribi are small fires set to guide the spirits back to the other side. But some regions light massive bonfires along the sea or in the mountains.
Check out Kyoto’s Gozan no Okuribi (五山の送り火) for a mountaintop burn. Or see Funakko Nagashi (舟っこ流し) in Iwate. There, the names of the dead are written on paper taped to a boat that’s set ablaze in the water.
- Bon Odori — Obon Dance Festivals. Bon Odori (盆踊り) is a must-see celebration welcoming the spirits of ancestors. You’ll find throngs of revelers and dancers in traditional garb in the streets moving to the beat of taiko drums. The dances vary by region and make for a lively evening of entertainment.
Bon Odori dances are usually held in temples, parks, or open spaces where a raised platform called a yagura (櫓) can be erected, which acts as the centerpiece for the dance. Odori dances are generally easy to learn with their simple and repetitive movements, yet there are many different versions unique to its region and music used.
Festival goers usually wear yukata (浴衣) — a casual cotton kimono worn in the summer — while enjoying the lively festival atmosphere that includes odori dances, food stalls, lanterns, and fireworks. Although temperatures are high, so are spirits — both people’s and ancestors’.
Three festivals are widely known as Japan’s “Three Great Bon Odori”:
- Awa Odori (阿波おどり), Tokushima. Japan’s largest and most famous dance festival, drawing over a million spectators to Tokushima City each August. Roughly 100,000 dancers, organized into troupes called ren, parade through the streets to shamisen, taiko, and flute.
- Gujō Odori (郡上おどり), Gifu. Held over roughly 30 nights between summer and early fall, with an all-night dance marathon during the core Obon period. Unlike Awa Odori’s parading style, Gujō Odori centers on a small group of singers and musicians seated on a raised float in the middle of a single large circle, with locals and visitors dancing together around them. Ten traditional dances rotate throughout the night as the circle moves through town, sometimes lasting from evening until daybreak.
- Nishimonai Bon Odori (西馬音内盆踊り), Akita. Held in the town of Ugo over three nights each August, this is the most solemn and atmospheric of the three. Dancers wear indigo aizome yukata and conceal their faces with woven straw hats or black hoods called hikosa zukin, dancing by firelight to slow, haunting music. The concealed faces are meant to represent the spirits of the dead dancing alongside the living, which is why the festival is sometimes called Mōja Odori — the “Dance of the Dead.”
Do keep in mind that at any of these festivals, you’ll likely be among tens of thousands of other people in attendance. It may be crowded, but at least you’ll have plenty of chances to speak more Japanese.
Frequently asked questions about Obon
- When is Obon?
Most of Japan observes Obon from August 13th to 16th each year, with the core three-day period falling August 13–15th. Tokyo and Yokohama celebrate a month earlier, from July 13th to 16th. Okinawa follows the lunar calendar, so its Obon dates shift from year to year. - Is Obon a public holiday in Japan?
No, Obon isn’t an official national holiday, but many companies close or scale back operations during mid-August, and it functions like a de facto holiday period with heavy domestic travel. - What is the difference between Obon and Halloween or Día de los Muertos?
Obon shares themes with both: like Halloween, it involves the return of spirits to the world of the living; like Día de los Muertos, it centers on honoring deceased family members with offerings, visits to graves, and celebration rather than mourning. - What should I eat or wear during Obon?
Yukata (a casual summer kimono) are common festival attire. Traditional Obon foods and street food are widely available at Bon Odori festivals and local events. - Where can I watch Bon Odori dancing?
Bon Odori festivals are held nationwide at temples, parks, and open spaces throughout Obon season. Japan’s “Three Great Bon Odori” are Awa Odori in Tokushima, which draws around 1.3 million spectators; Gujō Odori in Gifu; and Nishimonai Bon Odori in Akita.
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