In summer, Japanese people celebrate Obon (お盆), a Buddhist festival honoring the spirits of their ancestors. The festival usually takes place from August 13th to 16th, but some regions keep the celebration in July, following the old calendar.
During Obon, families commemorate their departed relatives and invite them back to the human world for a home visit. They often display a cucumber and an eggplant, with four wooden sticks impaled in them, called shouryou uma (精霊馬) and shouryou ushi (精霊牛 ) respectively.
The cucumber represents a horse that will carry the spirits home fast to be reunited with their descendants. While the eggplant symbolizes a cow that will ensure the souls have a leisurely journey back to the spirit world, leaving them with enough time to visit their families. In modern times, people like to get really creative, so it’s not just cows and horses anymore!
Check out some of our favorite creations below.
Isn’t that Dialga?
ご先祖さま、今年はこちらの馬でお帰りください。
“Ancestors, please take this horse to come home this year. We are waiting for you.”
The ‘unicumber’
初挑戦。脚の造型と自立性能の両立で、ひとりでチキンレース状態でした。
“First challenge. I was in a battle of wits, trying to find a balance between the legs and the ability to stand it on its own.”
Your ancestors are still proud
お盆といったら精霊馬
もはや先祖を乗せる気はない(笑)
“When it comes to Obon, it’s the spirit horse.
I’m no longer willing to put my ancestors on them (lol).”
The symbiote
今年の精霊牛は、アメリカ産A5ランク “ヴェノム牛”
25cm 全長30cm 全幅15cm
私の作った精霊牛史上最大クラスの牛。
ミョウガの目でヴェノム風になりました。
“This year’s cow spirit is A5 rank ‘Venom cattle’ from the United States.
25cm high, 30cm long, 15cm wide.
This is one of the largest cows I have ever made.
The eyes made of Japanese ginger gave it a Venom look.”
今年は父が亡くなり初めてのお盆『新盆』なので、バイク乗りだった父の為に精霊馬はバイクとサイドカーです
後でちゃんとした馬と牛もつくりますww
The Ghibli nerd
今年も増えたよ。
荒ぶるジブリオタクの精霊馬。
過去作から新作まで。
“There’s more this year.
A wild Ghibli-nerd spirit horse.
From past works to new works.”
Grandma’s drone
飛行機が苦手だったおばあちゃんも孫娘が作ったドローンなら乗ってくれるはず(ΦωΦ)ﾉ
“Even grandmother, who didn’t like airplanes, would be willing to ride in a drone made by their granddaughter.”
Japanese vocabulary for Obon
お盆 o bon Obon festival 旧のお盆 kyuu no o bon Bon Festival of the old year (held on July 15th) 迎え火 mukaebi Welcoming fire (for the spirits) 精霊馬 shouryou uma Carved cucumber with four wooden sticks for legs, symbolizing a horse to bring the spirits of the ancestors to their home 盆棚 shouryou dana Display shelf for the 精霊馬 and 精霊牛 精霊牛 shouryou ushi Carved eggplant with four wooden sticks for legs, symbolizing a cow to carry the spirits of the ancestors back to the other world 盆提灯 bon Lantern display on Buddhist altars to make offerings to the ancestors 閻魔 enma King of the world of the dead 盆踊り bonodori Bon festival dance 灯籠流し tourounagashi An event where lit lanterns float into the sea or rivers along with offerings for the Bon Festival 新盆 or 初盆 niibon or hatsubon The first Obon that’s celebrated after the death of a family member. 送り火 okuribi Farewell fire (for the spirits)
