お盆

• 読み: おぼん
• ローマ字: obon
• 漢字の分解: お (honorific) + 盆 (tray/basin, from 盂蘭盆 Ullambana) → the Bon festival
• 発音: /o.boɴ/

意味

The Buddhist festival honouring ancestors, now primarily known as a major holiday week when the whole country heads home.

Originally a solemn Buddhist observance to welcome ancestral spirits back to the living world, お盆 has become one of Japan's three major holiday periods (alongside Golden Week and New Year). While many families still perform traditional rituals like visiting graves and lighting welcoming fires, for many modern Japanese, お盆 simply means a week off work and the chaos of 帰省ラッシュ (homecoming rush). The blend of spiritual tradition and holiday practicality makes it quintessentially Japanese.

例文

1. お盆に実家帰るけど、新幹線の予約取れない。
2. お盆休みに海外旅行行く人増えたよね。
3. お盆は墓参りしないと親に怒られる。

使い方ガイド

場面: seasonal conversations, family, travel planning

トーン: seasonal, familiar

正しい言い方

• お盆はどこか行くの？ (Are you going somewhere for Obon?)
• お盆くらいゆっくりしたいよね (I just want to relax during Obon at least)

避ける言い方

• 「お盆なんて迷信でしょ」は年配の方に対して失礼 (Saying 'Obon is just superstition' is rude toward older people)

よくある間違い

• Not knowing that Obon dates vary by region — mid-July in some areas, mid-August in most
• Treating お盆 as purely a holiday without understanding its spiritual significance to many Japanese families

起源と歴史

From the Buddhist Ullambana ceremony (盂蘭盆会), which was imported from China and adapted into Japanese culture. The festival has been observed for over 500 years and centres on welcoming ancestral spirits during mid-August (or mid-July in some regions).

文化的背景

時代: Ancient Buddhist tradition, still one of Japan's most important holidays

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Observed across all of Japan. Dates vary: mid-July in Kantō area, mid-August elsewhere. The de facto summer holiday for most companies.