#obon — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #obon, aggregated by home.social.
-
Obon: Japan’s festival of ancestors
Held August 13–16, #Obon is a #Buddhist festival to honor ancestors’ spirits. Families light lanterns to guide souls home, while Bon Odori dances fill the streets with joy. Kyoto’s Obon stands out for Gozan no Okuribi: five giant mountain kanji fires illuminating the night sky. A moving blend of memory, light, and tradition. #JapaneseCulture #Matsuri #Summertime -
Learn the history and customs of #Japan's #Obon Festival, a summer festival of lights, dancing, and remembrance. #JapaneseCulture #JapaneseFestivals https://thelanguagegarage.com/japans-obon-festival/
-
With the number of foreign residents in Japan topping 4 million for the first time in 2025, a morbid question emerges: Where do foreign nationals want to die? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2026/08/11/issues/foreign-residents-death-planning/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #issues #death #aging #immigration #expats #graves #islam #christianity #obon
-
With the number of foreign residents in Japan topping 4 million for the first time in 2025, a morbid question emerges: Where do foreign nationals want to die? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2026/08/11/issues/foreign-residents-death-planning/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #issues #death #aging #immigration #expats #graves #islam #christianity #obon
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1519724/did-you-know-japan-celebrates-mountain-day-holiday-on-aug-11-2/ Did you know Japan celebrates Mountain Day holiday on Aug. 11? #Bon #holidays #JapanAlpineClub #JapanTravel #JapaneseHoliday #MinistryOfInternalAffairsAndCommunications #MountainDay #MtFuji #NationalGeographicalSurveyInstitue #NationalHolidayAct #Obon #summer #SummerInJapan #SummerVacation #travel #YamaNoHi Mt. Fuji (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Okinawa) Mountains play a large role in Japanese culture. So much so that the sprawling pe
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1519718/did-you-know-japan-celebrates-mountain-day-holiday-on-aug-11/ Did you know Japan celebrates Mountain Day holiday on Aug. 11? #Bon #holidays #JapanAlpineClub #JapanTrips #JapaneseHoliday #MinistryOfInternalAffairsAndCommunications #MountainDay #MtFuji #NationalGeographicalSurveyInstitue #NationalHolidayAct #Obon #summer #SummerInJapan #SummerVacation #trips #YamaNoHi Mt. Fuji (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan) Mountains play a large role in Japanese culture. So much so that the sprawling peaks
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1519431/video-japans-summer-fun-continues-with-bon-odori-festivals/ VIDEO: Japan’s summer fun continues with Bon Odori festivals! #beer #Bon #BonOdori #Chochin #CommunityEvents #dancing #GoldfishScooping #JapanTravel #JapaneseTraditions #kakigori #KingyoSukui #lanterns #LocalCommunities #LunarCalendar #moonlight #Obon #shateki #ShavedIce #ShootingGame #shrines #SoftDrinks #SummerEvents #SummerFestivals #SummerFun #SummerKimonos #SummerTraditions #temples #travel #yakisoba #yakitori #yukata (Photo by Takahiro
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1518144/when-japan-travel-gets-expensive-obon-japantrips/ When Japan Travel Gets Expensive #obon #japantrips #JapanDestinations #JapanTour #JapanTravel #JapanTravelGuide #JapanTrip #JapanVacation #TravelJapan When Japan Travel Gets Expensive #obon #japantrips If you are paying more than you expected, it could be the timing of your trip to Japan in August. Domestic travel increases significantly during August in Japan during the Obon holiday and travel services capitalize on it.
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1517402/local-tanabata-tradition-a-reminder-of-upcoming-obon/ Local Tanabata tradition a reminder of upcoming Obon #JapaneseCustoms #JapaneseTraditions #JapanseseCulture #kyureki #news #Obon #Okinawa #OkinawaCulture #OkinawaNews #OkinawaTombs #okinawan #OkinawanCulture #OkinawanCustoms #OldCalendar #seimeisai #shiimii #SummerInJapan #tanabata #tanzaku #tombs #沖縄 Okinawan tomb (Photo by Shoji Kudaka/Stripes Okinawa) If you have lived in Japan, you are likely familiar with Tanabata. It is a tradition wher
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1515633/kimodameshi-a-bone-chilling-summer-in-japan-2/ Kimodameshi: A bone-chilling summer in Japan #FujiwaraMichinaga #halloween #JapanTrips #kimodameshi #Obon #ookagami #ScaryStories #spooky #summer #SummerInJapan #SummerTradition #TestYourCourage #trips Much like Halloween in October in the West, mid-summer is a season to intersect with the dead in Japan, as deceased ancestors are believed to visit and spend few days with us during traditional Obon period (August 13-15). Also similar to
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1512258/agoda-announces-rising-travel-interest-ahead-of-japans-2026-obon-period-3/ Agoda Announces Rising Travel Interest Ahead of Japan’s 2026 Obon Period #Agoda #DomesticTravel #Japan #JapanTrips #JapaneseTravelers #Nagoya #Obon #OverseasTravel #pattaya #Seoul #TravelDestinations #TravelInterest #trips #Yokohama ―Interest Rises for Yokohama Domestically and Pattaya Overseas, as City Travel and Short-Haul Asia Trips Remain Popular― SINGAPORE, July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Agoda Company Pte. Ltd. (Headquarters: Singap
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1511378/agoda-announces-rising-travel-interest-ahead-of-japans-2026-obon-period/ Agoda Announces Rising Travel Interest Ahead of Japan’s 2026 Obon Period #Agoda #DomesticTravel #Japan #JapanTrips #JapaneseTravelers #Nagoya #Obon #OverseasTravel #pattaya #Seoul #TravelDestinations #TravelInterest #trips #Yokohama ―Interest Rises for Yokohama Domestically and Pattaya Overseas, as City Travel and Short-Haul Asia Trips Remain Popular― SINGAPORE, July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Agoda Company Pte. Ltd. (Headquarters: Singap
-
I very specifically did not take a lot of videos or pictures. I wanted to be fully immersed in the moments of the celebration.
There were many dances where everyone was invited to join in, learn the simple repetitive moves, and dance as a large group in the celebrations.
There were vendors and many games for children to play.
The food was amazing.
There were temple tours, and meditations, and Buddhist services.
In the evening, we gathered in the meditation garden where we placed small tea candles with the names of our loved ones that had passed, chanted Japanese Buddhist chants, and commemorated our loved ones.
It was hot and muggy and folks were kind and gentle and happy. I had a lot of great conversations and my kids made new friends and ran around with them on the temple grounds.
It was a good evening.
-
I very specifically did not take a lot of videos or pictures. I wanted to be fully immersed in the moments of the celebration.
There were many dances where everyone was invited to join in, learn the simple repetitive moves, and dance as a large group in the celebrations.
There were vendors and many games for children to play.
The food was amazing.
There were temple tours, and meditations, and Buddhist services.
In the evening, we gathered in the meditation garden where we placed small tea candles with the names of our loved ones that had passed, chanted Japanese Buddhist chants, and commemorated our loved ones.
It was hot and muggy and folks were kind and gentle and happy. I had a lot of great conversations and my kids made new friends and ran around with them on the temple grounds.
It was a good evening.
-
The youth Taiko drum group Dounen Daiko is joined by some of the members of the adult group.
(Side note: I've been learning the Irish whistle and am looking at learning the Irish flute. I'm completely enamored with the Japanese Shinobue flute as well. I think I'll just dive into traditional folk flutes as a whole 🥰)
-
The youth Taiko drum group Dounen Daiko is joined by some of the members of the adult group.
(Side note: I've been learning the Irish whistle and am looking at learning the Irish flute. I'm completely enamored with the Japanese Shinobue flute as well. I think I'll just dive into traditional folk flutes as a whole 🥰)
-
Beautiful Morning, here are some wonderful and happy videos from the recent Obon celebration at my Buddhist temple.
Location: Ekoji Buddhist Temple, Fairfax VA, USA
Celebration: Obon 2026
Religion: Buddhism (Shin Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu)Video: The local temple group Nen Daiko plays on the Taiko Drums.
(A short thread)
-
Beautiful Morning, here are some wonderful and happy videos from the recent Obon celebration at my Buddhist temple.
Location: Ekoji Buddhist Temple, Fairfax VA, USA
Celebration: Obon 2026
Religion: Buddhism (Shin Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu)Video: The local temple group Nen Daiko plays on the Taiko Drums.
(A short thread)
-
Hawaiʻi Bon Dance Season 2026: A Visitor's Guide https://www.hawaii-guide.com/blog/hawaii-obon-bon-dance-season-guide?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Hawaii #Obon #BonDance #HawaiiEvents #CulturalFestivals
-
Bon Odori: Inside Japan’s Soulful Summer Dance Tradition
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://unseen-japan.com/bon-odori-japan-summer-dance/
-
Bon Odori: Inside Japan’s Soulful Summer Dance Tradition
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://unseen-japan.com/bon-odori-japan-summer-dance/
-
#US probes Nvidia chip-smuggling via #Thailand
"co linked to 🇹🇭’s #nationalAI initiative is suspected of helping #smuggle at least $2.5bil worth of advanced #Nvidia chips to #China.. OBON Thailand is an affil of One Belt One Network Holdings Ltd, reg'd in BVI.. #OBON has been linked to Thailand’s #sovereign #AI #initiative Siam.AI, whose #CEO Ratanaphon Wongnapachant is a #nephew of #Thaksin #Shinawatra.. Siam.AI Cloud later became 🇹🇭’s first official Nvidia Cloud Partner"
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3251889/us-probes-nvidia-chipsmuggling-via-thailand -
#US probes Nvidia chip-smuggling via #Thailand
"co linked to 🇹🇭’s #nationalAI initiative is suspected of helping #smuggle at least $2.5bil worth of advanced #Nvidia chips to #China.. OBON Thailand is an affil of One Belt One Network Holdings Ltd, reg'd in BVI.. #OBON has been linked to Thailand’s #sovereign #AI #initiative Siam.AI, whose #CEO Ratanaphon Wongnapachant is a #nephew of #Thaksin #Shinawatra.. Siam.AI Cloud later became 🇹🇭’s first official Nvidia Cloud Partner"
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3251889/us-probes-nvidia-chipsmuggling-via-thailand -
https://www.alojapan.com/1463069/be-respectful-tomb-visiting-season-begins-april-5-in-okinawa/ Be respectful! Tomb visiting season begins April 5 in Okinawa #custom #Festival #news #Obon #Okinawa #OkinawaNews #OkinawanCulture #OkinawanCutoms #OkinawanTradition #SpringCustoms #SpringEvent #tomb #TombVisiting #tradition #沖縄 (Photo by Shoji Kudaka/Stripes Okinawa) on the island. Displayed alongside the banners are foods such as tempura, simmered pork ribs, mochi rice cake and more. Shiimii, or seimeisai, is a tradition where Okinawans vis
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1378036/time-for-obon-in-okinawa/ Time for Obon in Okinawa #ancestor #JapanAncestor #JapanObon #news #Obon #Okinawa #OkinawaAncestor #OkinawaNews #OkinawaObon #沖縄 (Photo courtesy of photoAC) Summer is not just for having fun at the beach, it’s also a time in Japan to show respect to your ancestors. Obon is a memorial service for ancestors, which takes place from Aug. 13-16 at many locations on mainland Japan. Okinawans, on the other hand, mark this season from July
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1364135/chinagu-eisa-hawaii-naha-daiko-at-okinawan-festival-august-31-2025-6/ Chinagu Eisa Hawaii & Naha Daiko at Okinawan Festival August 31, 2025 6 #BonDance #BonOdori #GoingToJapan #HawaiiBonDance #InternationallyMe #Japan #JapanTravel #JapanTravelTips #JAPANWALKER #JapanWalking #JapanGuide.com.Kimdao #Naha #NahaDestinations #NahaTour #NahaTravel #NahaTrip #NahaVacation #Obon #OnlyInJapan #OnlyInJapanGo #PaoloInTokyo #rambalic #ThingsToDoInJapan #TokyoTravelGuide #TravelToJapan #TravelingToJapan #VirtualJapan #WhatToDoInJapan #那覇
-
https://www.alojapan.com/1350319/jr-train-demand-strong-during-bon-holiday/ JR train demand strong during Bon holiday #ANA #aviation #JAL #JapanTrips #JR #OBon #rail #Shinkansen #tourism #travel #trips The number of passengers using the shinkansen and limited express train services of six Japan Railways Group companies during this summer’s Bon holiday period in Japan increased 8% from a year earlier. A total of 13,179,000 passengers used these services on 46 major routes between Aug. 8 and Sunday, the JR companies sa
-
The number of passengers using the shinkansen and limited express train services of six Japan Railways Group companies during this summer's Bon holiday period in Japan increased 8% from a year earlier. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/19/japan/jr-train-obon/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #obon #jr #shinkansen #aviation #ana #jal #rail
-
The number of passengers using the shinkansen and limited express train services of six Japan Railways Group companies during this summer's Bon holiday period in Japan increased 8% from a year earlier. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/19/japan/jr-train-obon/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #obon #jr #shinkansen #aviation #ana #jal #rail
-
The legend goes that the character '大’ was first created in white cloth under the supervision of the Shōkoku-ji monk Ōsen Keisan (相国寺/横川景三) and Yoshimasa's retainer, Haga Kamon (芳賀掃部), in 1489.
Fire pits were then dug and set ablaze to coincide with Obon's end. -
The legend goes that the character '大’ was first created in white cloth under the supervision of the Shōkoku-ji monk Ōsen Keisan (相国寺/横川景三) and Yoshimasa's retainer, Haga Kamon (芳賀掃部), in 1489.
Fire pits were then dug and set ablaze to coincide with Obon's end. -
8) PUBLIC DISPLAYS🙌
In the late Edo period there are descriptions of the public gathering on the Kamo-gawa's dry river bed to send lanterns downstream.
The easiest way to send the spirits of the dead back to the Netherworld was via rivers or the sea. -
Iwata Hideaki (岩田英彬), in his work "Kyō no Daimonji Monogatari" (京の大文字ものがたり), says "the event was launched by people with no particular status or fame, so there’s no record of its origin".
This may explain why we know so little about the giant Okuribi (送り火)😒 -
On 16th August, at Obon's end, it is said that Kyōto's spirits gather at Daimonji (大文字) before traveling to read the sutra at 'Myō-Hō' (妙法 - inspired by the Lotus Sutra).
They then ride the Funagata (舟形 boat), guided by Hidari Daimonji (左大文字), back to the Netherworld via the Toriigata (鳥居形 gate).
-
🔎ORIGINS OF THE OKURIBI🔥
Counted as 1 of Kyōto's 4 great celebrations, the Gozan-no-Okuribi (五山送り火) was originally called Shūkyō Gyōji or Oshorai-san (宗教行事 'the ritual' - おしょらい/おしょらいさん).
Many people incorrectly call the event Daimonji (大文字), the first and most famous of the Okuribi.
-
'The Obon Festival Dance' from the series 'One Hundred Beauties Depicting Modern and Ancient Manners and Customs' - Shodo Yukawa, 1903. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe #Obon
-
The times are changing, and some ancestors will be traveling home in style at the end of Obon🤖🍆
-
So why a horse and ox?
Well it’s all to do with speed.
At the beginning of Obon ancestral spirits long to return as quickly as possible after a year's absence, so they travel by horse.
When Obon is over they are reluctant to depart, so they take the slower ox. -
Deeply connected to the tiny temple of Hō'on-ji (法音寺), it is unclear how old the Okuribi is.
Torch processions in Ōkitayama Village (大北山村) are mentioned as early as 1658 and 1665, so it seems likely that this Obon tradition evolved soon after into a mountain spectacle.
-
The eggplant 'oxen' is known as 'shōryō-ushi' (精霊牛 'spirit ox') and the cucumber 'horse' is known as 'shōryō-uma' (精霊馬 'spirit horse').
🥒🍆Here is a great video about the 'spirit vegetables'
⬇️
https://youtu.be/0FoxADMvjBQ?si=Zya9sLAYvl1aYGOw -
At Obon cucumbers and eggplants, given small wooden legs, begin to appear at family altars and graves.
It is said the cucumber is a horse, racing the dead quickly back to this world.
The eggplant is an oxen, slowly but reliably carrying spirits back home. -
🔥左大文字🔥
Hidari Daimonji is the 4th of the Gozan-no-Okuribi (五山送り火). It is lit at 8:15pm, the same time as the Funagata.
The Okuribi is named 'Left Daimonji' (左大文字) because it stands on the left side (west) of the imperial palace when viewed from above.
