Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-10-11
FEAST OF THE BONKU.
soW JAPAN's GREAT SUMMER HoLl-
DAY IS CELEBRATED.

!oW JAPAN's GREAT SUMMER HoLl-
DAY is CELEBRATED.
Ii Is mt Once an Occasion For Fcast-
ing the Spirits of thc Departed and
an Opportunity For Marvellous
Display of Lanterns.
There are no Sundays in Japan, but
the people enjoy many legal and re-
iiSious holidays. The most notable
nj all is that elaborate summer fes-
,!yal which lasts for four days in the
:ll.dsl!e of July and has so many sides
% ii that it is known by several names.
Formerly it was styled Urabon; today
Il ia usually called the Feast of Bon,
" S3.nmatsuri, or the Bonku. 1t Is
Il cnee time for feast!ng the spirits
of the departed and an occasion for u
marvellous display of lanterns. Many
europeans call 1t the Feast of Ian
terms. Speaking strictly, 1t may lie
aenominated the Japanese Festival of
All Souls
In Dai Nippon religion and pleasure
go hand in hand, and this eXtraordi-
nary season of homage to friends who
Have passed away is an occasion Of
most singular and exceedingly pie
turesiue national festivities on II uni
yersal scale. The popular doctrine is
that during these four days of the
year the spirits Of ancestors take hol-
hay from Indies and visit the IA
miliar scenes of past terrestrial life,
especially the temples and shrines
where they used to worship. and that
they expect to be cordially and de-
voutly welcomed and generously fed.
These shAdowy visitors also look for
amusement, and it is abundantIy sup
piled
! Tokyo is gay sight indeed on the
morning Of July 13. The first cere-
mony is the Kawa Biruki, or open
ing Of the river. Professions of pleas
ure boats start down the river Su-
mida. They are exquisitely decorated
with flags, ribbons, colored paper and
flowers in profusion, the lily being
most In evidence, as this blossom is in
Japan the emblem of purity. The
people wish their ancestral invisible
guests to believe that they are living
immaculate lives, whatever may hap.
pen to be the truth of the matter. At
Night all the river craft will again sail
In procession, and the gayety will be
ut the climax
hn II ft,,r Lao, ,olf
Gal is selulously observed. For many
days numerous hands have been busily
weaving new mats of the finest rice
straw, and now these are brought to
the Buddhist shrlnes and spread upon
the affairs and inside the temples. In
every home also similar preparation
for the festival worship is observed,
the spotless mat being devoutly laid
In the domestic "butsudan," as the
little home shrine is termed where
morning and evening prayers are Of
fered before the ancestral tablets or
Inscriptions. es,.ss9'
or course the feeding of the ghostIy
guests is the most essential item in
the programme of preparation. The
dietetic commodities which these WIS.,
tOrs from the unseen world are sup
posed to prefer are somewhat numer-
GUS; therefore the viands are offered
in many tiny portions. Fresh lotus
leaves are procured. II possible, and
on these the food is placed. The NOR
sells are all delicious. and the ban
quet is indeed a tempting one, suppos-
ing that the hadean epicures have
really any appetite for these mundane
delicacies. They are supposed to be
specially fond of bits Of the choice
Japanese fruits called "saikwa" and
''url." They are offered plums and
peaches. Little slices of muskmelon
and watermelon are in evidence. The
eggplant fruit is never missing.
Somewhat more substantial are the
contributions In the shape of 'gozen"
carefully boiled ricel. "somen' (a kind
OF macaronD and "dango' "a minute
flour dumpling). Various delicate
specimens are added. but no kind Of
animal food Is ever offered, nor is
drop Of wine included. Suclf COM
modities would shock the refined spirit
ual tastes of the guests. Clean water
Is constantly sprinkled on the shrine
with n branch Of the sacred misllohagl
bush, and all day once an hour tea is
freshly prepared for the ghosts. Chop
sticks are laid by the offerings, the un-
seen visitors being treated just as liv-
ing beings.
The proceedings indoors Of course oc-
cupy much attention, and some member
Of the family must constantly be In the
home. but the doings out of doors are
full of interest and charm. All kinds
of fascinating features characterize the
public celebrations on land, on the
| river and by the sen. In all rural ia
pan the lively Bon Odorl, or dance
of souls, is kept up during the three
days. 1t consists of a performance by
the villagers in n great circle. The
dancers go round, posturing in great
variety Of attitudes, a few In the cen
ter being the musicians. In the cities
the Bon Odori is now professional
exhibition Of skill by pretty and popu-
lar geisha girls. AS always in Japan,
the dancers tell n story by their move
| ments.
Wonderful everywhere in the land is
the scene ut nightfall. The "mukaebi.'
or welcome fires, are kindled on the
first evening of Bommatsuri along the
rivers and the shores wherever any
town or village stands. The japanese
do nothing promiscuously, so they light
In every place exactly los of these
fires. They are intended to guide the
spirits If any need illumination to find
their way to the homes and shrlnes
they are seeking. And, with like
aim, every householder at sunset fixes
before his portal several torches. Be
sides these faring and fragrant sig
nails. beautiful lanterns are spendet
over each entrance. For the poo
ghosts who come to earth for the BON
| IL