This weekend is Obon, the Japanese national festival of the dead. In short, Obon is when Japanese people commemorate their ancestors and the ones who passed before them. It is believed that during this weekend the spirits of the ancestors return to this world to visit their living relatives. Many Japanese return to the place of their birth during this weekend to pay their respects.
Tonight we went to my village's Obon festivities to sample the food and watch the hanabi (fireworks; lit. "flower fire"). We weren't disappointed! Check out the video above for a sample of the display. Watch carefully for the giant strawberry fireworks towards the end. Amazing.
Below is Iida block (l-r: Nic, Bryce, Kasumi, me, Emma, Dan, Marion, Ben).
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