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August 18, 2008 |
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Hello JOI Community Members,
With this year’s Obon holiday ending in Japan, the television reporters have started their annual coverage of roads,
train stations, and airports jammed by families heading back to Tokyo and other big cities from their hometowns.
The JOI teachers are all back from the break and ready to take up their regular online Japanese classes,
so start reserving those lessons!
 The History of Obon
Obon is not a uniquely Japanese holiday; it has roots in ancient Buddhism and the ancestor cult from India.
The name Obon comes from “Ullabana,” an old Indian word which became urabon-e in Japanese and later shortened to Obon.
It means upside down and was a metaphor for hell. As the ultimate in a painful experience, hell was compared to being hung upside down by one’s feet.
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The original legend of Obon comes from the story of a monk named Mogallana.
He was said to have been a very gifted and clairvoyant disciple of the Shakyamuni Buddha, who,
after the death of his mother, used his clairvoyant powers to visualize her whereabouts.
He found her suffering in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, one of the many realms of hell.
He tried to give her food, but it caught fire and vanished.
On his master’s advice, Mogallana gave offerings to the annual gathering of great monks on
the 13th to the 15th of the seventh lunar month. Through these pious offerings,
he managed to save his mother from the fires of hell, and all who witnessed this danced for joy with him.
Thus, within this legend lie the origins of the timing of Obon, the symbolism of fire, and the bon-odori, or Obon dance.
The timing of the holiday varies in eastern and western Japan, with the western areas following the lunar calendar
and the east following the solar calendar. So, Obon falls either on August 13th to 15th or on July 13th to 15th, respectively.
Today most companies observe the lunar calendar holiday and give employees time off in August.
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Disappearing Obon Traditions
There are many local variations to the festival’s celebration.
I have talked to people who recall Obon festivals from their youth,
when the children danced around the village in a procession, playing drums in front of each house in
which a family member had passed away that year.
Another local said that in her hometown they held Obon dances in neighborhood parks.
They would display photographs of recently departed loved ones on a central platform, and the townspeople
would dance around them.
Sadly, though, there are few places left that celebrate the traditional Obon dances and festivities.
My neighborhood here in Fukuoka City has taken the approach of many Japanese cities:
combine the Obon dances with the local natsu matsuri (summer festival) held at the beginning of August.
The focus has shifted from remembering the dead to building community spirit.
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From Welcoming to Sending Off...
The first day of the Obon holiday is known as the 迎え火(mukae-bi, welcoming fire),
when the souls of ancestors return to their main family home. This is why many families who live in the cities
return to the countryside to visit their grandparents and go back to the main family home.
On this day fires are lit at the home's entrance, apparently to help the dead find their way back.
The firewood is usually made from pine, called matsu (松) in Japanese,
which I think may be a play on
the word for another matsu (待つ), which means to wait.
Often lanterns emblazoned with the family crest are hung outside the family home.
The methods used to celebrate the ancestor's return vary from family to family,
but usually incense is burned and candles lit at the 仏壇 (butsudan, family altar),
where a variety of food is offered to ancestors.
The last day of the Obon holiday is known as the 送り火 (okuri-bi, sending-off fire).
In towns and villages near rivers, a tradition of sending off the ancestors in small boats down the river
was very popular in olden times. Today, however, larger Japanese towns discourage the ritual because it can clog
irrigation systems and pollute estuaries.
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The most famous Okuri-bi event is arguably the 松露流し (shooro-nagashi) in Nagasaki.
Lantern-adorned boats of all sizes are paraded through the city streets and finally sent out to sea.
It is said to be quite beautiful.
Well, all the fires are out, and the ancestors are safely back to the other world.
Along with everyone else in Japan, the JOI teachers are back in class today.
A good way to kick off a post-Obon class is by asking your teacher,
“Oyasumi wa ikaga deshita-ka?” (How was your Obon holiday?), or
“Oyasumi wa tanoshikatta desu-ka?” (Did you have fun your holiday?).
Please enjoy the classes!
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Support Tips
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Are you hearing echoes in the classroom? Because the new classrooms let you and your teacher
talk at the same time, you may hear echoes (or cause echoes) if your microphone isn't adjusted
properly. We have several new FAQs to deal with the topic:
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If you hear echoes or noise when you talk, please
read this FAQ.
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If you hear echoes or noise when someone else talks, please
read this FAQ.
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If someone else hears echoes when you talk, please
read this FAQ.
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Is your voice cutting in and out in the classroom?
Your Internet connection may be a little slow—try this FAQ
for ways to improve your voice quality.
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Are the voices of other users breaking up in the classroom?
Again, it might be your Internet connection. One great way to solve this problem is to
turn off your video reception, as described
in this FAQ.
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Don't forget about the weekly lesson blog! It's a free way to learn about
Japanese culture and learn a few words and phrases along the way.
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Thanks for making JOI a great online Japanese school! I hope you're enjoying
learning Japanese online.
If you have other questions,
be sure to check out the FAQs, or if you don't find
an answer there, write me at support@japonin.com.
Sincerely,
Moses
JOI Support
