Departments
盆
BON
Bon Festival
The festival of bon (frequently referred to as the more honorific o-bon) is celebrated in either mid-July or mid-August, depending on the region. Bon is a Buddhist celebration dedicated to remembrance of the dead. It is believed that souls of the departed return to the living during the festival.
Unlike the Halloween holiday celebrated in Christian West, bon does not have any macabre connotations. It is a time for visiting family graves, and leaving offerings of candles, flowers, or incense sticks (senkō / 線香).
Fire plays a role in bon celebrations. The mukae-bi / 迎え火is a bonfire that welcomes spirits to the world of the living at the beginning of the festival. The okuri-bi / 送り火is a bonfire that bids them to go back. In coastal areas, the okuri-bi is often substituted with wooden or straw lanterns that are set adrift on the water.
Bon celebrations are often accompanied by special dances. These are known as bon-odori / 盆踊.
BONSAI
盆栽
potted dwarf tree
The distinctive bonsai tree is popular in Japan and abroad. The custom of keeping miniature potted trees dates all the way back to Japan’s Heian period (794-1185). This custom was originally imported from China. The art of bonsai was perfected in Japan during the Edo (1603-1867) period, when the trees adorned the homes of many members of the samurai class.
BŌNASU
ボーナス
bonus
Japanese salaried workers receive extra compensation in the form of a bonus. The bonus is awarded twice per year, once at midyear, and again at yearend. The amount of each bonus might be equivalent to one to three months of the employee’s salary.
The bonus system is rooted in the precarious economic conditions of postwar Japan. In those days, a sizeable percentage (up to one-third) of the employee’s compensation was based on “profit-sharing.” When the company performed well, employees were compensated well, but when the company fell on hard times, employers could use the bonus system to reduce total compensation.
The bonus system has become a deeply ingrained part of salaried life in Japan. Promotions in Japan often proceed along seniority lines, so the promise of an early promotion is not always a realistic incentive for the average Japanese worker. The bonus is therefore an alternate tool that Japanese managers can use to reward strong performers and chastise the slackers.