Obon Festival

Obon Festival
	Japan celebrates the Obon Festival around August 15. Today we would talk about that.
	Why?
	It relates to the release date of games and animes. As for games, it affects both the software and hardware manufacture.
	This reminds me that we seldomly got games and animes released during Obon.
	Not only direct effect. Anime or manga may mention Obon itself. So knowing Obon is meaningful if you want to know about Japan.
	The first thing is "What is Obon".
	To be brief, main event of Obon is to visit the family graves. Guys who seldomly visit their family graves would pay a visit during Obon also. Of course not everyone is interested in that.
	So it is religious?
	Not really. Just many customs combined together. Nothing different from those normal grave-visits.
	I see.
	Nowadays Obon's date is set on August 15, though we've quite a lot of theories about the real date. Also, even in Japan some places celebrate on different dates. But August 15 is the most common.
	Since modern Japan had used a new calendar, the date maybe different from ancient times.
	So you guys grasp a basic idea of Obon. Then we should move on to the Obon holiday.
	We've got holiday around August 15.
	It's not national holiday though. August 15 is a working day on the calendar, so somebody, e.g. civil servants have to work. Supermarkets and restaurants would mostly open, as they don't rest even on national holiday.
	But for other jobs, people can have a rest.
	Especially for manufacturing industry, workers always got a few days rest continuously around August 15. With Saturday and Sunday, some years we can have a holiday with the maximum nine days.
	Depends on calendar huh.
	During the holiday, many leave the cities like Tokyo and return to their hometown. Roads and trains would be jammed by people, but Tokyo will be empty.
	But we've exception.
	That's right. And we are talking about the Comic Market.
	Dates for Comic Market vary by years, but mostly held during the Obon holiday. The point is with Saturday and Sunday, people can travel to the place easily.
	This year's Comic Market will be held on August 14, 15 & 16. August 15 is Saturday, day off originally. Since the period around that is Obon holiday, countryside people can travel to Tokyo easily. OTAKU just use Japan's Obon tradition to organise an event for themselves.
	So the visits to ancestors' grave is being neglected...
	People don't go to the Comic Market may have a trip. Don't border the ancestors and enjoy yourselves.
	Sure...
	That's all for Obon and the Obon holiday. Knowing this custom, you may find a different view to enjoy Japan's contents.