Tokyo is very quiet these days...

Whoa... is this really Tokyo?

The Obon holidays always gives me the pleasure of being a Tokyoite. The streets are empty, the trains are empty, the restaurants have no lines. This is all simply because everyone flee the city to observe the return-of-the-dead holiday time.

Oh, alright, it is really not at all creepy. The Obon holiday is a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist festival has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people from the big cities return to their home towns and visit and clean their ancestors' graves.

For a week when Japan is observing the holiday most businesses are closed, big cities' streets are empty, and everything becomes extremely quiet. Local stores will mostly be closed. Some banks might even be closed, too! If you want to get money, get it now while some ATM still have money in it, otherwise you might be doomed to the end of days until Monday when banks open again and refill their ATM.

Since I am neither Buddhist, nor from Japan and thus have no ancestors' graves to clean, I don't particularly pay much attention to this holiday.
Except enjoying the ultimate relaxed and serene week in Japan. Also that this year's Earth Celebration falls right at the end of the holiday period (usually it is a week after Obon). So this year, if anyone asks, for Obon I am paying respect to the drums in Sado island by playing them!

Sado island at Dawn