Shōrō-nagashi (Spirit Boat Procession) (aka Shōryō nagashi)

The Spirit Boat Procession (精霊流し Shōrō nagashi^?) is an event celebrated in various places in Nagasaki prefecture, Japan. It is part of the Bon Festival. During the event, the souls of the deceased are mourned and sent off.

The procession takes place on August 15 of every year. During the procession, people float boats which are said to be carrying the spirits of the deceased down the river. The spirits are said to be sent to Sukhavati.^[1] It is done as an act of mourning by those who have lost a family member in the past year, though people who are not mourning participate as well. The boats are mainly built by people who have lost a family member in the last year, though they are also built by others.

As with many other Japanese festivals, people carry firecrackers and gongs, and often sound off with kakegoe. Some boats are built up to look like festival floats, and many tourists come to see the event

The boats are called shōrōbune (精霊船^?).^[4]

There are various theories as to the festival's origin, though it is believed to be strongly influenced by a similar Chinese festival. The meaning of the firecrackers that are fired on the side of the road leading up to the launching place comes from a Chinese idea on how to ward off evil spirits, and by passing the boats by, they are cleansed.