Jizo Obon

Jizo Obon is kind of like Halloween in Japan.  Obon is the time of the year where spirits of the deceased come back to us and people go visit and clean the family graves.  It's not exactly a fun time for kids, but they can look forward to Jizo Obon where children pray to the little child god Jizo while dressed up in fun colored yukata.  In exchange for their prayers and offerings, they get sweets and snacks from the shrine attendants.  In this little mountain house, even adults can get presents and people climb up all these stairs to pray and receive a sweat towel.  Behind the Jizo shrine is the club house for the Hiyoko Tozankai which publishes my art in their yearly magazine, so I drew them this picture.