Obon - Welcome home

Every year, the spirits of departed relatives are welcomed back to their old homes in a ritual known as O-bon. It has existed in Japan for over 500 years, and it is an opportunity for families and the community to come together. Today, August 15th, was the peak and last day of the festival. For the last several days, huge groups of children and their parents have been parading down every street in the city, carrying red lanterns, pictures of Johnny Depp, toting taiko drums on their bicycles, and calling out welcomes to their dead ancestors. People who have left their family homes in the countryside return, and the families go to the cemetery to clean the grave and pay respects.

I saw this last year from afar. In fact, I was startled when I was sitting in my apartment on a hot, muggy night last August when I heard a distinctive drumbeat outside my window. I looked out into the fields and saw a bright line of red lanterns floating slowly beneath me, a little far away. The voices of children rang out in the night as they called their ancestors home. Back then, I knew it had a little bit of magic to it, the very sight of it, but I didn't quite understand it.

This year I felt much more connected to the city's celebration of O-bon week, as I played taiko in the city festival a few days ago, which was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I also got much more up-close-and-personal with the parades, on my bicycle and with a friend. Tonight, I convinced my Japanese friend to drive me to the main shrine to see the children, and we ended up chasing the ghostly red lines of lanterns all over the city before I finally hopped out of the car and pursued the group on foot. I kept frantically leap-frogging through the group, stopping periodically to place my camera on the ground on a tripod to catch a shot of the parade. Perhaps by now they've come to expect this strange behavior on my part. It was great fun, and I haven't gotten such strange looks in a while.

All along the route, people came out of their houses to cheer them on, greet them, and marvel at the continuation of such a long tradition. It was a cheery, unusual scene. Only children can carry the lanterns, and my friend who took me to the shrine tonight said she had very fond memories of parading around the city herself as a child.

I think that most of all, O-bon is a time for families. I think for Japanese it might occupy a similar space as Christmas does in our heart. I can feel a nice energy in the air.

Please enjoy the photos, taken with love for you.



Obon Week