O-Bon, The Spirit Festival

Portland Japanese Garden members are invited to take part in O-Bon, the Spirit Festival, an important Buddhist festival to honor ancestors and pray for the souls of the departed. Join us during the magical hours of dusk in the Garden as we pay tribute to the memory of loved ones. O-Bon is both one of Portland Japanese Garden’s longest-held traditions and biggest events of the year. Reverend Zuigaku Kodachi, who proposed the idea of hosting the Spirit Festival to our organization in 1976, has introduced members of all religions and backgrounds to the Buddhist tradition of honoring the departed for close to half a century.