Obon in Sasebo is punctuated by the sound of firecrackers and the glow of lanterns that are floated down the Sasebo River on an evening of August.
The lanterns are blessed by priests and passed hand over hand to be placed into the lazy current of the river that runs next to Sasebo Park in the city center. The sight of these vessels weaving their way slowly downstream as they shepherd the souls of the city's departed spirits back to the afterlife is magical.
