Galerie: O-bon: Japans Fest der Toten

Als Tanuki – Marderhunde – verkleidete Kinder posieren für ein Gruppenfoto auf der Insel Himeshima. Marderhunde treten in der japanischen Folklore häufig als Schwindler und Gauner auf.

A child dressed as a kitsune, or fox, peers inside a neighbor's house during Obon festival. The kitsune is another popular character in Japanese folklore, said to have magical, shapeshifting powers.

Girls are painted as Lady Shizuka, one of the most famous shirabyōshi, or court dancers, in 12th-century Japan.

Children dressed as "drunk fishermen" play outside during the Obon summer festival.

A group of kitsune perform the Bon Dance to the beat of a drum. People often gather in the open spaces and sing traditional music during Obon—a cheerful affair to welcome the souls of their ancestors home.

A girl dressed as a geisha stands in line at the beginning of the Obon dance on Himeshima Island.

Dancers dressed as fisherman put on a performance during the Obon summer festival.

Himeshima, meaning "Princess Island," is an islet off the coast of Kyushu in Ōita Prefecture.