Awa Odori 2019

Weve all lost someone wed like to bring back, and at Japans Obon Festival (also O-bon or Bon), spirits that have left the living are lured back with lanterns, candles and dance. This Japanese version of Asias hungry ghosts festivals is the nations most important religious holiday, based on the Buddhist belief that on the 15th day of the 7th month, the gateways to Heaven and Hell open, allowing spirits to visit the living world. Obon's Spiritual TaleThe Obon Festival originates from the story of Mokuren, one of Buddhas disciples who used his supernatural powers to check on his deceased mother. Mokuren discovered she had fallen into the realm of the hungry ghosts, a spiritual place often described as a parallel world of suffering endless hunger. More Info below.