Obon is a time to express our gratitude to loved ones who have passed on before us. It is an annual Buddhist observance observed in the middle of August (13th to 16th plus a weekend). It is in July in Tokyo and in a few areas, but for most of the Japanese, the middle of August is the Obon period, when families get together and pay a visit to their ancestor’s grave. People say that Obon is based on a Buddhist belief that departed souls return to their families during this period. However, Jodo Shinshu school views in a different way. “Obon is a time of gratitude, giving, and joy …