お盆: Japanese Festival of the Dead - OBON Sasebo 2018

Obon is a special time in Japan, full of traditions to honor loved ones who have passed. Come with me as we observe the festival in Sasebo

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Hey guys! It's Abbey!

In this video, I show you guys Sasebo’s Obon festival, one of Japan’s top 3 festivals! Obon is a Buddhist festival to commemorate one’s ancestors. It’s almost like a family reunion kind of holiday, except the ancestors are believed to come home for three days, too! Usually, the holiday is held from the 13th-15th of August every year, but in some regions, it is held on the same days in July. This is due to the differences in the lunar and solar calendar.

At the beginning of Obon, family’s will gather to clean the graves of their ancestors and do other various personal traditions of the holiday. On the third day, the ancestors return back to the spirit world, so large festivals are held. Chochin lanterns are lit to help guide the spirits back home. There are also floating paper lanterns, called Toro-Nagashi, sent into the river in memory of a loved one. It is such a beautiful sight!

Since Sasebo is located within Nagasaki Prefecture, we get a special treat; Shoro-Nagashi! This is a special ceremony where shōrōbune, or spirit boats, are paraded through the streets to a park where they will be displayed. Some time ago, they used to actually release these boats in the water so that they could float out to sea. Now they are displayed in the park until the end of the event, when they are destroyed. Spirit boats are most commonly built by those who have lost a loved one within the past year, but anyone can parade a soul boat. The boat is believed to carry the soul of the deceased into the afterlife. They are often adorned with an image of the deceased, flowers, lots of lanterns, and offerings to take into the spirit world. Firecrackers are set off in order to scare off any bad spirits.

There is also Bon Odori, or the Bon Dance! This is a lot of fun, even though I did not participate. Anyone can join in on the dance, which welcomes the ancestors!Overall, this is an amazing experience! I hope you enjoy a glimpse into it!

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Information:

About Obon:
https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/obon-f...

0:52 - About Toro-Nagashi:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan...

3:33 - About the Shono-Nagashi:
https://www.japanvisitor.com/japanese...

8:36 - About Bon Odori:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Fes...

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“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”
By: This Patch of Sky
YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKBMr...
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