Hello, I am Yoshi from NILS Japanese language school. We will have “Obon Break” from August 13 to August 15. What is “obon“?
It is a Buddhist memorial service for the ancestors and the deceased of the family. It tkaes place from the 13th through to the 15th of July or August. During the period, spirits of the dead are believed to return to their families. People visit the family grave, offer flowers, burn incense sticks and pray for their souls to rest in peace. Bon dances are performed to entertain ancestral spirits throughout Japan. On　the last evening of obon, farewell fires are made to guide the spirits back to their world. Daimonjiyaki in Hakone and Gozan-no-Okuribi in Kyoto are the famous obon events.

京都／五山の送り火

August 10th News, from NILS Japanese language school.