Activities during Obon or Bon Festival

There will be plenty of activities… the first day of Obon, chochin lanterns are lit inside houses, and people go to their family’s grave to call their ancestors’ spirits back home. It’s called mukae-bon. Besides the traditional Bon-Odori dance, Obon music and traditional musical instruments being played, there are usually a line of small booth called yatai that sells a lot of food stuff and games, not forgetting the Japanese favorite summer fruit- the watermelon. Also, bon odori (folk dance) is widely practiced on Obon nights. Styles of dance vary from area to area, but usually Japanese taiko drums keep the rhythms.
Obon Celebration has 3 elements:
1. Festival of Spirits of ancestors.
2. Festival of Wishing rich crops.
3. Festival of Soul.
Both Festival of Spirits of ancestors and Festival of Wishing rich crops are related. The God of wishing rich crops is, that is to say, the spirits of ancestors. The spirits of ancestors become God and keep one’s eyes on giving a good crop to descendants. Thus we serve some crops as offerings to the God of the spirit of ancestors and celebrate together.
The Obon festival ends with Toro Nagashi or the floating of lanterns. Lanterns, made of paper, are illuminated and set floating down the river. These lanterns should guide the ancestral spirits back to the world of the dead. Toro Nagashi also includes big fireworks.