This is inside Japan.

這是在日本境內。

Obon, along with Golden Week and the year end holidays, are the three periods of time that the majority of Japan is on vacation.

盂蘭盆會與黃金週、年末假期，是日本大部分人放假的三個時間段。

Many large chain stores remain open, but most businesses both large and small, are closed allowing people to return to their hometown or travel elsewhere.

許多大型連鎖店仍在營業，但大多數大大小小的企業，都關閉了，讓人們回到家鄉或到其他地方旅遊。

That being said, airfare is high and accommodations can be harder to come by.

也就是說，機票價格很高，住宿也比較難找。

All that aside, what exactly is Obon?

拋開這些不談，大本究竟是什麼？

Japan celebrates many holidays that originate from all over the world.

日本慶祝許多源於世界各地的節日。

Obon is no exception.

大本也不例外。

Obon is a Buddhist/Confucian holiday, which is sometimes referred to as Bon.

盂蘭盆節是佛教/儒家的節日，有時也被稱為盂蘭盆。

Originally, it came from the Ullambana festival from India, but much like Dia de los Muertos in Latin America, Obon is a holiday to honor family that have passed away as well as ancestors.

最初，它來自印度的Ullambana節，但就像拉丁美洲的Dia de los Muertos一樣，Obon是一個紀念逝去的家人以及祖先的節日。

This holiday has been celebrated in Japan for over 500 years.

這個節日在日本已經有500多年的歷史。

Although most holidays lasts one day, Obon is a three-day holiday.

盂蘭盆節雖然大多為一天，但卻是三天的假期。

Traditionally in Japan, it was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

在日本，傳統上是在農曆七月十五慶祝。

At the beginning of the Meiji era, Japan changed to the Gregorian calendar.

明治初期，日本改用公曆。

This caused Obon to be celebrated at three different times depending on the region.

這就造成了根據地區不同，在三個不同的時間慶祝盂蘭盆節。

These three different times are Shichigatsu bon, Hachigatsu bon and Kyu bon.

這三個不同的時間分別是七松本、八松本和圭本。

Kyu bon uses the traditional dates and is celebrated in the Chugoku, Shikoku and the northern Kanto regions as well as in the Okinawa prefecture.

圭盂蘭盆使用的是傳統的棗子，在中國、四國、關東北部以及沖繩縣都有慶祝活動。

Shichigatsu bon is based off the solar calendar and is celebrated around July 15th.

七夕盂蘭盆是以陽曆為基礎，在7月15日前後舉行的。

This is when many people from the Tohoku region and part of the Kanto region celebrate it.

這時，東北地區和關東地區部分地區的許多人都在慶祝。

Hachigatsu bon is based off the lunar calendar and is celebrated around August 15th.

八角盂蘭盆是以農曆為基礎，在8月15日前後舉行。

This is when most Japanese people celebrate it.

這是大多數日本人慶祝的時候。

Even though it is not considered a public holiday, most people are given leave during obon.

雖然這一天不被認為是公共假日，但大多數人在盂蘭盆節期間都可以休假。

During this time people return to their ancestors' homes and have a family reunion.

在這期間，人們會回到祖先的家中，進行家庭團聚。

Many families spend time with each other as well as clean their ancestor's graves.

很多家庭在為祖先掃墓的同時，也會互相陪伴。

Some adults might even use this time to see old friends.

有些成年人甚至可能利用這段時間去見老朋友。

Also, many local festivals take place during this time.

另外，很多地方的節日也在這段時間舉行。

The lanterns during this festival are said to guide the spirits to their families.

據說這個節日裡的花燈可以接引神靈歸家。

For this reason, some lanterns are placed in homes.

為此，一些燈籠被放置在家中。

In some festivals Yaguras are constructed.

在一些節日裡，會建造Yaguras。

A yagura is a small tower or bandstand used to hold traditional drums and drummers.

櫓是用來放置傳統鼓和鼓手的小塔或帶子臺。

This type of drum is known as taiko.

這種鼓被稱為太鼓。

People do a traditional dance around the yagura to the beat of the taiko drums.

伴隨著太鼓的節奏，人們圍著櫓跳著傳統的舞蹈。

This type of dance is called bon Odori.

這種舞蹈被稱為 "盂蘭盆舞"。

The places that don't use yaguras dance in a straight line down the street.

不用雅集的地方，在街上跳直線舞。

During these festivals many people can be seen wearing yukatas.

在這些節日裡，可以看到很多人穿著浴衣。

A yukata is traditional Japanese clothing very similar to a kimono but the overall differences are that it is lighter, made from cotton, and more casual.

浴衣是日本的傳統服裝，與和服非常相似，但總體上的區別是它比較輕，由棉布製成，比較隨意。

Even though Obon does deal with death, it is not supposed to be a time of fear or sorrow, but a time of celebration.

雖然盂蘭盆會確實涉及到死亡，但它不應該是一個恐懼或悲傷的時刻，而是一個慶祝的時刻。

This was Inside Japan, and thanks for watching.

這是《日本內部》，謝謝你的觀看。