In Hagi there is a temple famous for its Obon celebration. Hundreds of twinkling stone lanterns lit once a year to welcome the dead back to land of the living. It did not disappoint. The temple was bustling with light- hundreds of candles casting a flickering stairway, climaxing in a magical view:

Between August 13th and August 15th the Japanese celebrate the Buddhist festival of Obon. They believe the spirits of their dead ancestors return to the land of the living and visit their family shrines. On the first day of the festival I went to a Buddhist temple to see some traditional music. The atmosphere was […]