Obon

"Obon (お盆^?) or just Bon (盆^?) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and 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 Bon-Odori."

" The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendarwas changed to the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, the localities in Japan reacted differently and this resulted in three different times of Obon. 'Shichigatsu Bon' (Bon in July) is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around 15 July in eastern Japan (Kantō: areas such as Tokyo, Yokohama and the Tohoku region). 'Hachigatsu Bon' (Bon in August) is based on the solar calendar, is celebrated around the 15th of August and is the most commonly celebrated time. 'Kyu Bon' (Old Bon) is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and so differs each year. "    The Shuzenji area is differnet again, celebrating O-Bon from 30-Jul to 3-Aug.

Baba prepared an altar with the family 'ihai' (spirit tablets inscribed with the buddhist names of the family ancestors), and various offerings.

On Sunday morning a local priest visited for a short service, Then we went to visit the graves.  ('ohaka-mairi').

At each grave an offering of eggplant and rice was made.

"Bon Odori (盆踊り^?), meaning simply Bon dance is a style of dancing performed during Obon. Originally a Nenbutsu 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 typical Bon dance involves people lining up in a circle around a high wooden scaffold made especially for the festival called a 'yagura'. The yagura 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 yagura. Some dances reverse during the dance, though most do not. At times, people face the yagura and move towards and away from it. "

The music can be songs specifically pertinent to the spiritual message of Obon, or local min'yo folk songs.  Some modern enka hits and kids' tunes written to the beat of the "ondo" are also used to dance to during Obon season.  Consequently, the Bon dance will look and sound different from region to region.   The dance of a region can depict the area's history and specialization. For example, the movements of the dance of the Tankō Bushi (the "coal mining song") of old Miike Mine in Kyūshū show the movements of miners, i.e. digging, cart pushing, lantern hanging, etc. All dancers perform the same dance sequence in unison.

This is the bon-odori at a festival at Zenkouji temple in Omotesando in mid-June.   It was a small festival but very elegant and a great atmosphere.   As you might expect in Tokyo most fashionable suburb.