by event
Summer Festival for the Ancestral Spirits O-Bon
The Bon Festival is held to pray for the repose of the spirits of the ancestors. In most local areas, it is held for four days from August 13 through 16th, but in some localities the dates are in July. Many companies close down for a long holiday from August 13 through 16th, and trains, buses, and highways are crowded with people either going on trips or returning to ancestral homes, where they go to pay respect to the graves of parents and grandparents.
Related site
Mini Encyclopedia, Teacher Support Information of Deai
http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/contents/teacher/te_index.html
Reference site
「日本文化いろは事典」
http://iroha-japan.net/iroha/A01_event/10_bon.html