Obon and Eisa- Dancing for the Spirits

This national holiday is one of the more important to the Japanese, as they believe it offers an opportunity for their deceased ancestors to visit the homes of their families during this three day festival of the dead. The music is used to welcome returning ancestral spirits and send them back to their resting place with thunderous sounds of taiko drums, like those featured here. This was the third day of the festival, Ukui, or the escorting day of the spirits back to their resting place.