I returned from a trip this week. I have no food at home. I went to the supermarket. It's Obon in Japan now. So I also bought flowers at the supermarket.

Obon is a family event. From August 13th to 16th. People are going parents' homes to see their families. Obon is an event for the ancestors. The soul of them will return. We welcome the soul by offering flowers and food to the altar of the house.

When I was a child, we used to gather at my grandfather's house during Obon. My mother and aunts cooked a lot of rice, so they looked busy. And the drunken uncles started fighting. It's fun sometimes, but I didn't really like gatherings with my relatives, so I stopped going when I was in high school. Now I'm an adult, I understand the meaning of Obon." I can't go to my parent's house, and I don't have a Buddhist altar at home. Instead, I will offer flowers to the family photo corner and call my father in Japan.