Obon 2026

When Is Obon in 2026?

In 2026, Obon falls on August 13. The observance lasts 3–4 days. Obon is observed on a fixed date each year. Three regional variants exist: most of Japan observes August 13–16 (solar); Tokyo and Yokohama observe July 13–16 (old lunar date); Okinawa and the Amami Islands follow the lunar calendar (late August/early September, varying annually). Not a national public holiday, but functions as one of Japan's three biggest travel peaks. Obon is observed on the same date each year: August 13. Here are the dates for the next five years: Year Date 2026 August 13 2027 August 13 2028 August 13 2029 August 13 2030 August 13

What Time Does Obon Start in Your Time Zone?

Obon is observed in most of Japan from August 13 to 15, following the Gregorian calendar date that corresponds to the 15th day of the seventh month in the old lunar calendar. However, Tokyo and some other regions follow the older lunar calendar, which places Obon in mid-July (July 13-15 in 2026). This regional variation is a quirk of the calendar reform that Japan underwent in 1873, when the country adopted the Gregorian calendar. Some regions kept the lunar dates for traditional festivals, while others shifted to the corresponding Gregorian dates. Because Obon is observed on fixed Gregorian dates (August 13-15 in most of Japan, July 13-15 in Tokyo), it is timezone-independent in the sense that the dates are the same everywhere. Japanese communities worldwide — particularly in Brazil, the United States (Hawaii, California), and Canada — observe Obon on the same dates as Japan, with Bon Odori dances at Buddhist temples and lantern-floating ceremonies. The table below shows the observance date for Obon in major time zones around the world: Location Observance Date Time Zone New York, USA August 13 EST/EDT (UTC-5/-4) London, UK August 13 GMT/BST (UTC+0/+1) New Delhi, India August 13 IST (UTC+5:30) Sydney, Australia August 13 AEST/AEDT (UTC+10/+11) Dubai, UAE August 13 GST (UTC+4)

The Story Behind Obon

Obon — also called Bon Festival or Urabon-e — is a Japanese Buddhist festival honoring the spirits of ancestors. Observed over three days (typically August 13-15 in most of Japan, though some regions, including Tokyo, observe it in mid-July following the older lunar calendar), Obon is one of the most important family-reunion periods in Japan, when families gather to welcome the spirits of their deceased relatives back to the family home. The festival's origins are rooted in the Buddhist legend of Mokuren (Maudgalyayana in Sanskrit), one of the disciples of the Buddha. According to the legend, Mokuren used his spiritual powers to look for his deceased mother and found her in the realm of hungry ghosts, suffering from starvation. Mokuren asked the Buddha how to help her, and the Buddha instructed him to make offerings of food to the Buddhist community at the end of the summer retreat (the 15th day of the seventh lunar month). Mokuren did so, his mother was released from her suffering, and he danced for joy — the origin of the Bon Odori, the traditional dance of the festival. Obon has been observed in Japan since the 7th century, when it was introduced from China along with Buddhism. The festival blends Buddhist ancestor veneration with indigenous Japanese (Shinto) traditions about the spirits of the dead. According to Japanese belief, the spirits of ancestors return to the family home during Obon — guided by fires lit at the entrance of the home (mukaebi, "welcoming fires") on the first day, and sent back to the spirit world with fires lit at the end of the festival (okuribi, "sending fires").

How Obon Is Celebrated

Obon is observed over three days. On the first day (August 13), families clean the family graves and light mukaebi (welcoming fires) at the entrance of their homes to guide the spirits back. A small spirit altar (shouryoudana) is set up in the home, with offerings of food, flowers, and incense. On the second day (August 14), families typically attend a temple service and may visit the graves again. In the evening, neighborhoods hold Bon Odori — traditional folk dances performed in a circle around a raised platform (yagura), with dancers in yukata (light cotton kimono) moving to the beat of taiko drums and traditional music. On the third day (August 15), families light okuribi (sending fires) to guide the spirits back to the spirit world. The most famous okuribi is the Daimonji in Kyoto, in which enormous fires shaped like Chinese characters are lit on the mountainsides surrounding the city. The largest is the character dai (大, meaning "big"), which is 80 meters tall and uses 75 fire pits. The Daimonji is one of the most iconic images of Kyoto summer, drawing tens of thousands of spectators. Bon Odori dances vary by region, with each locality having its own traditional dances and music. The most famous Bon Odori is the Awa Odori of Tokushima (on the island of Shikoku), which features large crowds of dancers moving through the streets to the chant of "Odoru aho ni miru aho, onaji aho nara odoranya son son" ("The dancing fool and the watching fool are equally foolish, so why not dance?"). The Awa Odori draws over a million spectators each year. Lantern floating (toro nagashi) is another Obon tradition, in which paper lanterns are floated down rivers or into the sea to guide the spirits back to the spirit world — the most famous being the Honolulu Toro Nagashi, which combines Japanese Obon tradition with Hawaiian culture.

Obon on the Calendar

Obon falls on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar — originally the seventh lunar month, now fixed on August 15 in most of Japan (with Tokyo and some regions observing it on July 15). The shift from lunar to Gregorian dates occurred during Japan's Meiji-era modernization in 1873. The festival's three-day observance (August 13-15) gives it a stable place in the modern Japanese calendar, unlike lunar festivals that shift each year. Obon and New Year's are the two great family-reunion periods in Japan, with millions of Japanese traveling to their ancestral hometowns for both.

August 13–16 in most of Japan (solar calendar, post-Meiji); July 13–16 (lunar) in Tokyo/Yokohama; around lunar August in Okinawa

Traveling for Obon? Where to Go

Obon is one of the three great travel periods in Japan (along with New Year's and Golden Week in late April-early May). Millions of Japanese travel from cities to their ancestral hometowns to clean family graves and participate in Bon Odori. The trains and highways are heavily congested on August 12-13 (outbound) and August 15-16 (return), with Japanese Railways running special Obon trains. Internationally, the Awa Odori in Tokushima draws tourists from across Japan and abroad, and the Daimonji fires in Kyoto are a major August tourist attraction. Top destinations for this holiday: Kyoto: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. Tokyo: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. Osaka: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. Hiroshima: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. Nagasaki: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. If you're planning to travel for obon, compare hotel rates and book early — accommodations in Kyoto fill up weeks before the festival. [Search hotels for Obon travel →]

Did You Know? Obon Facts & Trivia

Obon — also called Bon Festival — is a Japanese Buddhist festival honoring the spirits of ancestors. The festival blends Buddhist ancestor veneration with indigenous Shinto traditions, and is observed over three days (typically August 13-15 in most of Japan). The most famous okuribi (sending fire) is the Daimonji in Kyoto, in which enormous fires shaped like Chinese characters are lit on the mountainsides surrounding the city. The largest is the character dai (大, meaning "big"), which is 80 meters tall and uses 75 fire pits. The Bon Odori — traditional folk dances performed in a circle around a raised platform (yagura) — vary by region, with each locality having its own traditional dances and music. The most famous is the Awa Odori of Tokushima, which draws over a million spectators each year. Obon is one of the three great travel periods in Japan (along with New Year's and Golden Week in late April-early May). Millions of Japanese travel from cities to their ancestral hometowns to clean family graves and participate in Bon Odori. The trains and highways are heavily congested on August 12-13 (outbound) and August 15-16 (return).