Risshū (Beginning of Autumn)

Nagasaki Peace Statue. (© Pixta)

Lanterns are lit at Obon to ensure ancestors can find their way home. (© Pixta)

Cucumber and eggplant Obon animals. (© Pixta)

Bonfires on the five mountains around Kyoto. The characters 大 (big) (left) and 妙法 (the teachings of Buddha). (© Pixta)

Boat-shaped bonfire (left), 大 (center), and a torii-shaped fire. (© Pixta)

Bon odori. (© Pixta)

Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival. (© Pixta)

Wind Chime Festival at Hotaka Shrine in Nagano Prefecture. (© Pixta)

Fresh ginger. (© Pixta)

Kakigōri made of delicately shaved natural ice. (© Pixta)

Watermelon, the taste of summer. (© Pixta)