Organized by the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, Massachusetts, which currently owns the collection, Shaped with a Passion is touring 15 museums across the United States. Benefactors The Morikami is actively engaged in expanding our permanent collection. Highlights of the Morikami's Bon Festival include rousing taiko drum performances, traditional Japanese folk dancing with audience participation, ghost stories, a ghost house and a street fair with games and shop booths. The highlight of the evening begins at sunset when Morikami Pond is transformed into a tranquil sea of lighted lanterns which, in accordance with Japanese custom, guide the departure of ancestors' souls who have come for a brief visit among the living. A special fireworks display caps the enchanting evening.
Free parking is available.
Food vendors on the park grounds and at The Morikami's Cornell Cafe will offer a selection of Japanese and American foods. Obon, or the Bon Festival, is a traditional Japanese observance held over a three-day period in summer. Obon signifies a time when the spirits of deceased family members are believed to return for a brief visit to the world of the living. Obon is a joyous as well as solemn occasion, serving to honor ancestors and thank them for contributing to the quality of life enjoyed by the living. During Obon, families gather in an open space in the village to perform Bon Odori, folk dancing intended to entertain the visiting spirits.