The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-12-02
FEAST OF THE BONKU
HOW JAPARs GREAT SUMMER HolL
DAY IS CELEBRATED.

u is ~ oaoe an Occasion For Feast
lag the spirits Of the Departed saa
m Opportunity FOR . Marvellous
Display Of Lanterns.
There are no Sundays In Japan. but
che people enjoy many legal and re
llgIou. holidays. The most notable
OF all u that elaborate summer fes.
tival which lasts for four days In the
middle Of July and has 10 many sides
90 II that II Ii known by several names.
Formerly II was styled Urabon; today
II ~ usually called the Feast OF Bon.
or Bommaturi. or the Bonku. II "
at once time for feastlng the spirits
Of the departed and nn occasion for
marvellous display Of lanterns. Many
Europeans call Il the Feast Of Lau.
terms. Speaking strictly, II may be
dsnominatcd the Japanese Festival Of
All Souls.
In Dai Nippon religion and pleasure
20 hand In hand. and this extraordi
nary season OF homage TO friends who
have passed away In au occasion Of
most singular and exceedingly pie.
turesque national festivities on u uni
vcrsai scale. The popular doctrine Is
that during these four days Of the
year the spirits Of ancestors take hol.
iday from hades and visit tho fa.
miliar scenes Of past terrestrial life,
especially the temples and mhrln~s
whsrv they used to worship. and that
they expect TO be cordially aud de
voutiy welcomed and generously fed.
These shadowy visitors also look for
amusement. and II 10 abundnntly sup.
piled.
Tokyo 10 q gay sight indeed on the
morning Of July 10. The nrst cere.
mony II the kawa Biruki. or open.
Ing VI the river. PROFESSIONS OF pleas.
ure boats start down the river su.
nlda. They are exquisitely decorated
with nngs. ribbons. colored paper and
flowers In profusion. the lily beipg
most In evidence. ms this blossom In In
Japan the emblem Of purity. The
people wish their ancestral invisible
guests TO believe that they are living
immaculate lives. whatever may hap
pcn 20 bs tho truth of the matter. At
night al! the river craft will again sail
In procession. and the Esysty will be
NJ the climax.
During the daytime the religious rit.
nai Ia sedulously observed. For many
days numerous hands have been busiIy
weaving new mats OF tho finest rice
straw, and now these arc brought TO
the Buddhist shrincs and spread upon
the affairs and inside the temples. In
every home also q similar preparation
for the festival worship IL observed.
the spotless mat being dsvoutly laid
in the domestic "butsudan." as the
little home shrine 10 termed where
morning and evening prayers are Of
frred before the ancestral tablets or
Inscriptions.
Of course the feeding Of the ghostly
guests Ia tho most essential item In
the programme OF preparation. The
dietetic commodities which these Wis.
itors from the unseen world are sup.
posed TO prefer are somewhat numer
ous: therefore the viands are offered
In many tiny portions, Fresh lotus
leaves are procured. II possible. and
on these the food In placed The NOR.
sells are oil delicious. and the ban.
quet Ia indeed q tempting one. suppos.
ing that the hadean cpicures have
really any appetite for these mundane
deiicacies. They are supposed to be
specially fond Of bits OF the choice
japanese fruits called 'saikwa" and
''un" They are offered plums and
peaches. Little slices Of muskmslon
and watermelon are In evidence. The
eggplant fruit is never missing.
Somewhat more substantial are the
contributions In the shnpe Of 'gozen-
Carefully boiled rlcel. ''somen" "a kind
OF mncaronD and "dango" Ia minute
-four dumpling). Various delicate
specimens are added. but no kind OF
animal food Ia ever offered, nor 10
drop Of wine included. Such com.
modities would shock the refined spirit
ual tastes Of the guests. Clean water
il constantly sprinkled on the shrine
with branch OF the sncred mishohag
bush. and hll day once an hour tea In
freshly prepared for the ghosts. Chop.
sticks are laid by the offerings, the un
seen visitors being treated just as llv.
Ing beings.
The proceedings indoors OF course oc
cupy much attention, and some member
OF the family must CONSTANTLY DO In the