Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia celebrates Obon

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Organizers are canceling the Obon festival in Philadelphia this year because of weather-related reasons — but festival goers can still participate in lantern ceremonies this Sunday and next Saturday.

Obon, rooted in Buddhism, is an annual 500-year old Japanese festival that honors ancestors and lineage.

In Japan, families visit cemeteries and offer food to their ancestors and honor their memories. They hang chochin (paper) lanterns outside their homes to guide their ancestors’ spirits home and celebrate with food, bonfires and traditional and ritualistic dancing.

In Philadelphia, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia will practice the tradition with two floating lantern ceremonies by the pond at Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in Fairmount Park.

On Sunday, August 11 and Saturday, August 17, the lantern floating ceremonies will provide attendees the opportunity to write the names of deceased loved ones on paper lanterns that are then placed to float in the pond. The two dates represent welcoming the spirits and then sending them off again.

Kazumi Teune, executive director of Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, said though Obon is a Buddhist tradition, its practice resonates with everyone.

“It’s just so beautiful. Even if you don’t know anything about Buddhism, it’s very quiet, emotional often, and it’s nice to see the lanterns floating in the pond [at sunset],” Teune said.

Tickets to the Aug. 17 lantern ceremony are available online.

Teune said that for those who aren’t able to make it to the Obon lantern ceremonies, there are other opportunities to learn more about Japanese culture. The organization is planning another festival for the fall to celebrate small children, rooted in the Japanese tradition of Shichi-Go-San.

The Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, built in 1853 with traditional Japanese materials and construction methods, is open Tuesday through Sunday until Oct. 27, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

“Just visiting the house itself should be a great experience to feel Japanese culture,” Teune said, noting that it’s the only house of its kind in the Tri-state area.