Obon: the Japanese Tradition of Visiting the Graves of Ancestors

Every year, for a few days before and after August 15, trains and tourist resorts overflow with people. Not only are hotels and flights expensive, but they also become fully booked well ahead of time. For the Japanese, this period is the peak of summer vacation. But this period, called obon, is also much more.

Since ancient times, obon has been regarded as a period when the spirits of Japanese ancestors return from the afterlife to spend time with their families. For this reason, most people return to their hometown, thank their ancestors together with all their relatives, and hold a memorial service for them. Here is how the Japanese celebrate obon.

A Family Visit to the Cemetery

It is one of the customs of obon for all the relatives to share a meal while they’re all gathered together. People look forward to presenting their newborn baby, bringing and introducing their fiancé/fiancée, and seeing their grown children. Then they visit the family grave together.

Visiting graveyards to rest your ancestor’s soul is called ohakamairi in Japanese (haka meaning grave). It can be done anytime, but Japanese people will usually visit on the same day as the Buddhist memorial service or on the same day of the death of their ancestor.