The O-bon or Bon Festival in Japan is definitely something summer travelers to Japan want to have marked on their calendars. There are both good things about being in Japan, but also some things to be aware of if traveling around this time of year.
Some things to be aware of:
- Many people in Japan go back to their hometowns or visit family during the O-bon season so some of the people you want to see in Japan may not be available.
- Traffic in Japan, as well as public transportation can be backed up during this time… the news in Japan usually reports what days will be the heaviest. Traffic can be the heaviest leaving the Tokyo area at the beginning of the holiday and returning to the area at the end. This year the busiest days are expected to be August 12thand 13th, and for return trips, August 15th and 16th, but please expect all trains and major highways to be backed for the week. (If they are not too bad where you’re going, be pleasantly surprised and then watch the news to know just how pleasantly surprised you should be!)
- Things may be a bit more expensive, though this is just based on my experience and this may or may not be the case. I know that things definitely feel more expensive.
The best thing about being in Japan during the Obon holidays are the festivals held to celebrate the holiday. Both large scale and small scale festivals tend to be held, and in the days leading up to some of the festivals, visitors can be treated to Obondori or Bon-dori practices in local parks.
If you are someone that likes traveling and getting to know people, it could be a great experience to get out into the big rush and start talking to people who seem open to it. How many stories could an ethnographer collect during the course of a 3 hour ride on a packed train? How about as a chance to practice your language skills with a captive audience?
Summer is a somewhat expensive, but very good time to travel in Japan. There are plenty of festivals, fireworks to be found, people tend to be out and about more, and even busy people may travel a bit. It is hot and humid, so please feel free to check my older post about packing for Japan in Summer for some ideas about what to bring.