New Horizons Celebrates Japanese Obon Day

With July almost over, one of Japan’s biggest vacations begins next month: Obon. Not only will it be celebrated all over the country, but also in Animal Crossing: New Horizons with traditional cucumber horses and eggplant cows.

Typically held in August for three days (although for some in Tokyo it takes place a month earlier), the Buddhist festival marks the return of its ancestors. Japanese people visit cemeteries and clean their family’s tombstones, don a light summer kimono called yukata or jinbei, watch fireworks and attend festivals where they eat, drink and dance.

Summer festivals are truly one of the best times to be in Japan. But this year, with 37 percent of the population in a state of emergency until August 31 due to peaks in covid-19 cases, this Obon season will hardly be typical. People will still celebrate, even if the mass gatherings seem to be out, which can take advantage been in Animal crossing more relevant than ever.

At home, people will always make horses and cows with cucumbers, eggplants and toothpicks. These Obon pillars also come to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and their sight may seem surprising at first. I remember the first time I saw a cucumber horse at my wife’s grandmother’s house. “It’s so my husband can visit me,” she told me.

Horse cucumber and bovine eggplant are called shoryouma (精 霊 馬). Each person’s “legs” can be made from toothpicks, shortened chopsticks, or any other wooden stick. The idea is that the ancestor will use the horse to get home as soon as possible, then come back to the slower cattle, staying a little longer in this world, soaking up the scenery on the way back.

The cucumber horse Can be placed out on the threshold of the family with incense to allow the return trip of the ancestor. (I have also seen them placed in hutches in the hallway.) Sometimes the eggplant cow is also displayed; however, since its purpose is the return trip, this might not be necessary.

The shoryouma set is then placed on the family altar, which is filled with offerings. These can be foods and drinks the ancestor enjoyed in life, such as oranges, crisps, sodas, or even alcohol, like beer. The eggplant cow is also able to “bring back” these offerings with the ancestor on return.

Riding cucumber horse and eggplant cattle is simple, but over the past few years creative types in Japan have gone wild, creating some truly wild shoryouma. (For example, check out these Mad Max the inspired!)

Of course, shoryouma have already appeared in Animal crossing– and will continue to do so in the inevitable future iterations. The last seasonal free update drops today. The Eggplant Cow and Cucumber Horse will be available through Nook Shopping between August 10-16, just in time for your Animal crossing ancestors of the games of old to hurry home to New Horizons.