When Is the First Obon (Hatsubon) After a Death? Deciding Between This Year and Next, and How It Relates to the 49th Day

The first Obon is the first Obon after the 49th day

Hatsubon is the first Obon after the 49th day, which ends the mourning period, has passed following a death. In the Kantō region and elsewhere it's often called niibon (also shinbon or arabon); the meaning is the same.

Many Buddhist sects hold that for 49 days after death, the soul is still between this world and the next (the intermediate period, chūin). Obon is the time when ancestral spirits return home, so the first Obon after the deceased has finished the 49 days and become a buddha is welcomed as the first homecoming, the hatsubon. So if Obon comes before the 49th day is over, the first Obon is the following year's, not that year's.

The cut-off date: "if the death was by this date, it's this year"

The 49th day falls 48 days after the date of death (How to count the 49th day), so counting back from the start of Obon gives the cut-off date. For an Obon starting on 13 August, if the 49th day comes by 12 August, that year is the first Obon. Counting back 48 days from 12 August gives 25 June.

If someone dies after Obon (from 16 August for August Obon), the first Obon is naturally the following year's. The same applies to deaths in autumn or winter.

Examples by date of death (2026)

For a death on 25 June, the 49th day is 12 August, and mourning ends the day before Obon begins, so on paper that year's August Obon is the first. However, preparing for the first Obon right after the 49th-day service is a heavy burden, so in practice some families move it to the following year.

When the 49th day and Obon are close or overlap

When the 49th day falls on a weekday, the service is usually brought forward to the weekend before. So there are cases where the calculated 49th day is after Obon but the service itself has already been held before Obon. In such borderline cases, the decision varies by region and temple.

• Some temples treat that year as the first Obon if the 49th-day service was held before Obon
• Others treat it as the following year if the actual (calculated) 49th day falls after Obon
• You may be offered a combined 49th-day service and Obon memorial
• If there isn't enough time to prepare, it's fine to ask about holding the first Obon the following year

If in doubt, the surest way is to ask your family temple: "The 49th day is on [date]. Will this year be the first Obon?" Obon is the busiest time of year for temples, so ask early.

Regional differences in Obon timing, and preparing for the first Obon

Across most of Japan, Obon is 13–16 August ("month-late" Obon), but some areas, including parts of Tokyo, hold it on 13–16 July (Gregorian-calendar Obon). Areas that follow the old lunar calendar, such as Okinawa, have different dates every year. If relatives live in different regions, also confirm which Obon the memorial will follow.

1. 1

   2 months before: contact the temple and set the date

   Discuss whether to ask for a first-Obon service or join the temple's joint service. Requests pile up around Obon.

2. 2

   1 month before: invitations and the meal

   If inviting relatives and people close to the deceased, send invitations and arrange the meal and return gifts.

3. 3

   2 weeks before: Obon lanterns and the spirit altar

   For the first Obon, it's customary to display a white lantern (shiro-chōchin). Also prepare the spirit altar (shōryōdana or bondana) and offerings.

4. 4

   Start of Obon: welcoming fire; end: sending-off fire

   On the 13th, welcome the deceased with a welcoming fire (mukaebi), and on the 16th send them off with a sending-off fire (okuribi). The white lantern is burned in the sending-off fire or taken to the temple to be ritually disposed of.

Enter the date of death in the Memorial Service Dates tool, and along with the 49th-day date it shows whether the first Obon is this year or next, for both August and July Obon. For the years after the first Obon, you can also check the dates of the annual memorials that follow, such as the 1st-year and 3rd memorials (Japanese Buddhist memorial year chart).

FAQ

If Obon comes before the 49th day, when is the first Obon?

The following year's Obon is the first. The first Obon is the first one after the 49th day has passed, so if the 49th day falls after Obon, it's the next year.

If someone died in June, is this year the first Obon?

In areas with August Obon, a death by 25 June means the 49th day is over by 12 August, so this year is the first Obon. From 26 June, the following year is the guide. In areas with July Obon, a death in June means the following year.

What's the difference between hatsubon and niibon?

They mean the same thing. Hatsubon is common in Kansai, Kyushu and elsewhere, and niibon (or shinbon) in Kantō and elsewhere; it's just a regional difference in naming.

When should I start preparing for the first Obon?

Contact the temple about 2 months ahead. Requests pile up around Obon, so ask early. Arrange invitations and the meal a month ahead, and have the Obon lanterns and spirit altar ready 2 weeks ahead so you can welcome it calmly.