K-12 Outreach for Japanese Culture: 8月 / August

「​お盆」は、旧暦の7月15日、現在の暦では8月13日から16日頃に行われる、祖先の霊を祀る行事である。この時期は故人の霊が家族の元へ還ってくると信じられている。また、お盆の頃に墓参りをする慣習があるため、休暇をとって故郷に帰省する人も多く、普段は離れて暮らしている家族が再会する時期にもなっている。

お盆の行事は各地によって異なるが、一般的には家の門口に、火を焚いたり提燈を飾ると、祖先の霊はその「送り火」を目印にして還ってくるといわれる。また、僧侶が檀家の家々を訪ねて読経して霊を供養したり、家族が墓地を訪れ、墓をきれいに掃除をし、供え物や花を飾って供養する。お盆の期間が終わると、霊が迷わず帰れるよう、門口で「送り火」を焚いて送り出す。

地方によっては、祖霊を迎え入れるための「盆棚」を用意し、普段は仏壇に備えてある位牌を「盆棚」に飾るが、この盆棚にキュウリとナスに割り箸か爪楊枝をさした「精霊馬」を供えることもある。先祖の霊は、足の早いキュウリの馬に乗ってやって来て、ナスの牛に乗ってのんびり帰って行くと言われる。

お盆の時期、祖霊を慰め、また彼岸に再び送り返すための踊りを「盆踊り」というが、各地域によって踊りのリズムや踊り方が異なる。有名な盆踊りの例として、北海道からのソーラン節、東京の東京音頭、徳島県の阿波踊りなどがあげられる。

「迎え火」や「送り火」は家々の門口にともすが、地域的な「送り火」の行事として、木や竹にろうそくを立てて作った小さな灯籠に火とともして川や海に流す「灯篭流し」を行うこともある。また、京都では、毎年8月16日に京都を取り囲む山で大きなかがり火を焚く「五山の送り火」が、伝統行事として有名である。

"Obon" is an annual Buddhist festival held from August 13^th to 16^th. In some places in the east, Kantō area, people celebrate it in July, from the 13^th to 16^th, following the old lunar calendar. It is believed that the ancestor’s spirits will pay a visit to the family members during this time, and Obon is celebrated to honor the ancestor’s spirits. It is also a time for live families to reunite.

People celebrate Obon differently depending in the area. In general, people light a lantern called "mukaebi" or welcome fire and read the sutra with a Buddhist priest in their house to welcome the ancestors’ spirits to come back home. People clean their ancestor's altar and grave and offer foods and flowers for the ancestors to enjoy. People also celebrate Obon by dancing a Bon Odori or Bon dance while singing during a Bon Festival and is another way to welcome the deceased spirits. Different parts of the country have different rhythms and moves for the Bon dance, and probably the most famous are the Sōran Bushi from Hokkaido Prefecture, Awa Odori from Tokushima Prefecture and Tokyo Ondo from Tokyo. And on the final day, people will either do "tōrōnagashi" and/or "okuribi" depending in the area you live. Tōrōnagashi is when people light a departure lantern and float the lantern on a river and okuribi or farewell fire, which is a large word usually on a mountain created with lit lanterns.  The most famous okuribi is at Kyoto Prefecture called "Gozan no Okuribi" or "Daimoji (big letter)." 

There is also a custom to invite the spirits of the ancestors by poking a cucumber and an eggplant with some toothpicks or chopsticks to mimic a four-leg animal or "shōryō-uma." The cucumber is to mimic a horse, so the ancestors can come visit as fast as possible. The eggplant is to mimic a cow, so the ancestors can leave in a relaxed and leisurely fashion. 

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灯篭流し / Tōrōnagashi

五山の送り火・大文字 /  Gozan no Okuribi or Daimoji 

キュウリとナスの精霊馬 / Cucumber and eggplan shōryō-uma

There are many different styles of dancing for Bon Odori, depending on the area.

The first video is the dance, Sōran Bushi, from the northern island of Hokkaidō. The moves mimics the fishermen, reflecting at the major industry of the area. In the Sōran Bushi song, "Dokkoi Sho" and "Sōran" are used a lot; these words were originally used to motivate the fishermen during their work. The dance involves a lot more physical movement compared the other Bon Odori. (The dance starts at 0:13)

The second video is the dance, Awa Odori or Awa Dance, from southeastern prefecture of Tokushima. Awa Odori is danced in the Awa Odori is one of the biggest dance festivals in Japan and is held from August 12 to 15. The festival includes the dancer and the musicians who play the shamisen, a Japanese three stringed instrument, and taiko drums. 

In recent years, the end of the Obon traffic rush has been a problem in Japan. If you are traveling during the Obon season, beware of the Obon rush. 

Obon is celebrated by Japanese and Japanese-Americans all over the world, like Maui. The Bon Festival is slightly different in Maui where the festivals are celebrated every weekend during the summer in an assigned temple throughout the islands.

お盆はご先祖様の霊を迎える行事で、8月13日から16日頃にかけて行われる。13日は餡子やたれのついた「お迎え団子」、14－15日はおはぎなどの「お供え菓子」、16日は白くシンプルな「送り団子」をお供えする。「お迎え団子」と「送り団子」はそれぞれ13個供える慣習だが、これは、十三の仏（「十三仏」）にお供えするからである。最近では、野菜や果物、菊や蓮の花を模った、お供え菓子が用いられる。日持ちができる和菓子が基本であり、硬いゼリーや米粉でできている和菓子が多い。

Obon is a festival to celebrate the welcoming of the ancestor’s spirits, and the tradition is to give several offerings to the ancestor’s altar. On the 13^th day of July or August, 13 round white sticky rice dumplings with a red bean paste or sweetened sauce which are called “welcoming dumplings” or “omukae dango” are offered. From the day of 14^th to 15^th, sweets such as ohagi, a sweetened red bean paste with sticky rice inside, are offered. These are called “offering confectioneries” or “osonae gash”i are offered. And on the final day, the 16^th, 13 simple round sticky rice dumplings called “farewell dumplings” or “okuri dango” are offered. The reason for offering 13 pieces of welcoming and farewell dumplings comes offering to the “Jūsanbutsu” or the “Thirteen Buddhas,” a group of Buddhist deities. In recent years, offering confectioneries that are molded to look like vegetables, fruits, chrysanthemum and lotus flowers are growing in popularity. These objects are what is usually given as an offering, but making it into a confectionery prolongs the shelf life. These confectioneries are made of hard jelly or rice flour.  

おはぎ / Ohagi (sweetened red bean paste with a mochi inside)

お供え菓子 / Osonae gashi (made from jellies covered in sugar)