19/07/2026
Obon is a Buddhist event.
We burn a fire called mukaebi (welcoming fire) on August 13th to guide our ancestors' spirits home.
On August 16th, we light okuribi (sending-off fire) to guide their spirits back to the other world.
We also make a horse out of a cucumber and a cow out of an eggplant to help our ancestors' spirits travel back and forth.
Why the Obon timing differs in Tokyo
In Tokyo, Obon is held around July 15th (Shin-bon), while in many rural areas, it is held around August 15th (Kyu-bon). When Japan switched from the lunar to the solar calendar in the Meiji era, Tokyo adopted the new calendar immediately. However, rural areas delayed it by a month to August to avoid clashing with the busy farming season.
