Thoughts on Obon vacation

Obon isn't a national holiday in Japan however, if you are here in August, there is no way you won't hear someone talk about going on "Obon" vacation.

Many shops and restaurants close, the owners shutting their doors for the three days and going home to visit family or to take the opportunity for that well-needed trip somewhere fun. This is often the only other time taken off during the year aside from New Year.

Every year the teachers at the school I worked at would save their paid leave just to have their Obon vacation during the summer. As a teacher, this made perfect sense. No one wants to put other teachers out by having them fill in for you while you are on vacation during the school year, so teachers plan their holidays during the holidays.

But if Obon isn't a national holiday, why would any business owner decide to plan their holiday at the same time as everyone else? It is the most expensive time to travel within or out of Japan with plane tickets sometimes triple the price and hotels fully booked. Eating out becomes more expensive with special menus only during Obon.

Even my husband's factory takes Obon off. Even if he wanted to work he couldn't because the factory would be closed. If he was behind, there wasn't a way for him to catch up on his production. There wouldn't be materials because the delivery company would also be on holiday. And when he was just a contract worker, he didn't have paid leave. This meant that he would just have to take a pay cut on top of working extra hard before and after the holiday to meet production quotas. 

Seeing that most Japanese tend not to use their paid leave or vacation days any other time of the year, having an obligatory holiday is probably a good thing. And seeing as Obon is a festival to celebrate your ancestors and family members who have past, it is a great excuse to go home to your family. When most workers in this country spend more time than needed at work, going home is a great thing.

However, when I was a teacher here in Japan, and going home wasn't an option, I thoroughly enjoyed that empty teacher's room for that week in summer where I could do whatever I wanted, yet still be at work making money. I was instead sensible with my paid leave and used it when I really needed it, like those half days when I went home early because the stress of sitting at a desk and trying to look busy just wasn't good for me.

(The cucumber horse that ancestor spirits are to ride back to us on during Obon)