Chapter 250: The Obon Festival!
With the opening of the new dessert shop, Ryohei Tanaka's weekdays had become busy. This continued for several days until an important holiday arrived—the Obon Festival!
This is Japan's most important holiday after New Year's Day. Japanese businesses and companies generally take about a week off, a period known as the "Bon holiday."
In Japan, people who work away from home use this time to return to their hometowns to reunite with family and pay respects to their ancestors. From the perspective of Chinese customs, it feels like a combination of the Qingming Festival and the Spring Festival.
Because everyone in the cities is rushing back to their hometowns, transportation becomes exceptionally busy. There was once a special term in the newspapers to describe this phenomenon: the "Great National Migration"! During this period every year, large cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya become particularly deserted for a while.
On a side note, this important Japanese holiday originated in China.
In the early 6th century, during the era of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty, the festival began to gain popularity in Chinese society. It was introduced to Japanese Buddhist temples in the mid-7th century (Tang Dynasty) by Japanese envoys to the Tang court. From there, it entered the imperial court, permeated the general populace, and evolved from a Buddhist service into a folk custom. It gradually developed in Japan into the diverse, content-rich, and large-scale Obon Festival of today.
In addition to sweeping graves and honoring ancestors, there are also folk activities such as the Bon Odori (Obon dance), parade processions, floating river lanterns, and setting off fireworks.
Yurine Hanazono was called back to the shrine by her family the day before the festival.
Although Buddhist temples are the main venues for Obon, Shinto shrines also participate in this nationwide holiday. The Hanzono Inari Shrine would be holding a Great Purification Ceremony (Oharai-shiki), Bon Odori performances, lantern offerings, "welcoming and sending-off fires" (Mukaebi and Okuribi), and special prayers. They were extremely short-staffed, so naturally, they wouldn't forget Yurine, the "daughter of the shrine."
Ryohei Tanaka was also invited, though not to help, just to come and watch if he was interested.
And so, on the morning of August 13th, Ryohei Tanaka drove alone to the Hanzono Inari Shrine.
He clearly felt the streets were much emptier along the way, but it became lively again as he approached the shrine.
Ryohei Tanaka found a parking spot nearby and walked toward the shrine carrying a fruit basket and two bottles of sake.
Compared to his last visit, the stone steps of the shrine were now lined with rows of plain white lanterns. There was also a "welcoming fire" (Mukaebi) set up at the entrance, though it wasn't lit yet. It would likely be lit in the evening. This is to light the way for the deceased, so they don't get lost while riding their "cucumbers."
"Yurine."
Ryohei Tanaka followed the flow of worshippers up the stone steps and immediately spotted Yurine Hanazono standing under the vermilion torii gate, dressed in formal Miko attire.
She wore a white top covered by a chihaya robe embroidered with crane and pine patterns, and a bright, flame-like scarlet hakama tied at her waist. White tabi socks covered her slender feet, which were set in red-strapped straw sandals.
Most striking was her long, reddish-brown hair, which was now neatly tied into a low ponytail with white danshi paper. A few stray strands fell near her ears, adding a rare dignity and elegance to her appearance.
"You look really beautiful today... Of course, you're always beautiful," Ryohei Tanaka said sincerely as he walked up.
"Thank you." Yurine Hanazono watched Ryohei Tanaka with a smile in her eyes, the corners of her lips lifting slightly, clearly pleased. "Did you come alone?"
"Yeah." He would have been too embarrassed to bring Jashin-chan here, let alone Lucoa.
"Here, a small gift." Ryohei Tanaka handed over the fruit basket and sake.
"You're too kind." Yurine Hanazono accepted them, bowed politely, and then led Ryohei Tanaka toward the shrine office (Shamusho).
On the way, they ran into Yurine's mother, Yō Hanzono. Ryohei Tanaka naturally called out, "Auntie."
Yō Hanzono responded with a warm smile.
...
After setting down the fruit and sake, Yurine asked for his opinion, and she led him to participate in the Great Purification Ceremony.
It was a purification ritual aimed at cleansing worshippers of the sins, misfortunes, and impurities accumulated over the past six months or year, allowing them to be pure of body and mind when welcoming (or after sending off) the ancestral spirits.
The process involved the old priest (Yurine's grandfather) chanting purification words and performing specific exorcism actions. Worshippers used a paper doll called a hitogata, breathing onto it to symbolize the transfer of their misfortunes to the doll, which was then thrown into a fire to be burned.
After completing this, Ryohei Tanaka was brought to the Hanzono family's home altar.
Since he was visiting his girlfriend's home at this time, it was natural to pay respects to her ancestors.
Ryohei Tanaka was prepared for this and showed no surprise at the strange cucumber with four chopsticks stuck in it in front of the altar.
After being invited yesterday, he had specifically gone online to learn about Japan's Obon Festival to avoid any embarrassing incidents due to ignorance. He knew this strange cucumber was the "Spirit Horse" (Shōryō uma), a mount for the spirits, said to bring the souls home from the underworld at "full gallop."
When it's time to send the deceased back, it's replaced with an eggplant with "four legs," the "Spirit Cow" (Shōryō ushi), symbolizing a slow, plodding departure. This gives the deceased more time with their family and allows them to carry more offerings back.
This was all new to Ryohei Tanaka, and he found it quite interesting.
...
After paying respects to the Hanzono ancestors, the time approached 9:00 AM.
Yurine Hanazono glanced at the clock on the wall and turned back to Ryohei Tanaka.
"Ryohei-kun, do you want to go dance together next?"
"I'm not dancing. Not interested. And I don't know how." Ryohei Tanaka shook his head, a triple refusal.
He was not a dancing person; he had no such elegant hobbies.
Watching pretty girls dance, however, was fine.
"Alright." Yurine was a bit disappointed but didn't push it. "It's about time, I have to go organize the Bon Odori."
"I'll watch you dance," Ryohei Tanaka smiled.
"That works too."
...
As they spoke, the two left the shrine office.
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