1.
Obon holidays; summer break around the Bon festival
The mid-August holiday period centered on the Buddhist お盆 festival honoring ancestral spirits, during which many businesses close and people return to their hometowns.
Compound of 盆 (the Bon festival) + 休み (rest, holiday). Centers on August 13–16 in most of Japan.
Common collocations
- 盆休みに入る: to begin the Obon holiday
- 盆休み中: during the Obon holidays
- 盆休みの帰省: returning home for Obon
- 盆休み明け: just after the Obon holidays
Cultural note
Unlike 正月 (New Year) and ゴールデンウィーク (Golden Week), 盆休み is not a legally mandated holiday — its length varies by company, usually 3 to 7 days. Despite this, it is one of Japan's three major travel periods, with massive congestion on highways and bullet trains.