How many days off does Japan have for O Bon?

Japan will be closed for 3 days during Bon Festival in 2023.

In Japan, Obon is designated as a legal holiday and is a nationwide holiday. In 2023, Obon falls on a Saturday, so most companies and schools will use July 14, 2023 as a holiday. July 13, 2023, the eve of the festival, is the "eve festival", so some companies and schools will choose the consecutive holidays from July 13 to July 16, 2023.

During the Bon Festival, many places across Japan will hold Bon Festival activities, such as Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki, and Omagari City in the Tohoku region. In addition, the Bon Dances in major cities are also tourist destinations not to be missed, such as the "Gion Festival" in Kyoto and the "Bon Dance" in Tokyo.

Obon Festival customs

1. Ancestor worship: In the old days, every household would use new rice as an offering. It is said that this can report this year's harvest to the ancestors.

2. Offering to the monks: that is, offering food, clothing, medicine and other items, because this is the day when the monks come to see the Buddha to report their practice achievements after three months of summer retreat. The Buddha was happy when he heard that his disciples had made progress in practice, so it was also called Buddha's Happy Day.

3. Grave-sweeping: Some people also visit graves on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month to express their grief and commemorate their deceased relatives by paying homage to their ancestors.

4. Flame release: On July 15th, the Master's Seat and Shigu Terrace were set up in front of Jiekou Village in advance. In front of the mage's seat is the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who has saved the ghosts of "hell", and below is a plate of peaches and rice. There are three spiritual tablets and soul-calling flags standing on Shigu Terrace. After noon, every household placed all kinds of cakes, fruits, melons, etc. on Shigu Terrace.

The above content refers to Baidu Encyclopedia-Obon Festival