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Cultural Festivals Member Only Special Events

O-Bon / The Spirit Festival

O-Bon is a Japanese Buddhist festival that honors the spirits of our ancestors and the deceased. Join us during the magical hours of dusk in the Garden as we pay tribute to the memory of loved ones by lighting incense and watching candles float in the Upper Pond near the Moon Bridge. The evening will include koto performances, chanting of the Lotus Sutra by Reverend Zuigaku Kodachi, and reading names of the recently departed.

OBon festival at Portland Japanese Garden, 2019. Photo by Jonathan Ley

In traditional beliefs, the spirits of the ancestors come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during O-Bon from August 13-15. In Japan, candles, lanterns, and other fires are lit to guide the spirits back to the heavens. Tōrō-nagashi, a ceremony of floating lanterns, is celebrated in many regions on the last night of O-bon. Floating paper lanterns are lit with candles and released into a river or the sea to guide the ancestral spirits back to the spirit world.

Throughout Japan, Buddhist services are held at temples and homes during O-Bon to pray for one’s ancestors, particularly those who have died within the past year. This serves as a reminder of the importance of family ties, as a gesture of respect for those who have gone before, and as an acknowledgment of the brevity and preciousness of life as a family.

O-Bon is a special gathering for Portland Japanese Garden members only and reservations are required.

Due to the limited amount of tickets for this event, we will host a live stream on our Instagram on Saturday, August 13th. Make sure you are following us to receive a notification when we go live.