Obon (お盆) — often simply Bon — is a Japanese Buddhist festival honouring the spirits of ancestors, who are believed to return to visit their families. It's one of Japan's most important annual customs, and one of its busiest travel seasons. In much of Japan it centres on mid-August (around 13–15 August; 15 August is a Saturday in 2026). Here's the history.
See the Obon holiday page or Japan's holiday calendar.
What is Obon?
Obon is a Buddhist-Confucian custom that has been observed in Japan for more than 500 years. During Obon, the spirits of departed ancestors are believed to return to the world of the living to visit their relatives. Families welcome them home, honour them, and then see them off again.
When is Obon held?
The timing varies by region — a legacy of Japan's switch to the Gregorian calendar:
- Most of Japan: mid-August (around 13–15 August) — this is "Hachigatsu Bon" and the most widespread.
- Some areas (e.g. parts of Tokyo): mid-July ("Shichigatsu Bon").
- A few regions: based on the old lunar calendar.
Obon itself is not a national public holiday, but the mid-August period is a major time for travel and time off.
Traditions of Obon
- Bon odori (盆踊り) — community folk dances held to welcome and honour the spirits.
- Lanterns — chōchin lanterns lit to guide ancestors' spirits home; tōrō nagashi, floating paper lanterns on rivers, to see them off.
- Visiting and cleaning family graves (ohaka mairi).
- Mukaebi and okuribi — welcoming and farewell fires.
Quick answers
What is Obon? A Japanese Buddhist festival honouring the spirits of ancestors, who are believed to return to visit their families.
When is Obon? Most of Japan observes it in mid-August (around 13–15 August); some regions in mid-July.
Is Obon a public holiday in Japan? It is not an official national holiday, but mid-August is a major holiday travel period.
What is bon odori? The traditional community dances performed during Obon to welcome and honour ancestral spirits.