If you visit Japan in the summer, you may come across something that looks rather unusual: cucumbers and eggplants with little legs made from chopsticks.
These are called shōryō-uma and shōryō-ushi—a spirit horse and a spirit cow—and they are part of the traditional customs of Obon, a special time of year in Japan to remember and welcome ancestors.
But why a horse and a cow?
Obon: When Ancestors Come Home
Obon is one of Japan’s most meaningful traditions for honoring ancestors.
Usually observed around August 13–15, Obon is traditionally a time when the spirits of deceased family members and ancestors are believed to return home from the afterlife for a few days.
Families visit ancestral graves, prepare the family altar or an Obon display, and light a small fire called mukaebi, or “welcoming fire,” to guide their ancestors home.
At the end of Obon, another fire, called okuribi, or “sending-off fire,” is lit to help guide the ancestors back.
So Obon is more than simply visiting a cemetery.
It is a time when families welcome their ancestors home and spend time remembering them.
A Horse Made from a Cucumber, a Cow Made from an Eggplant
This is where the cucumber horse and eggplant cow come in.
Four wooden legs—often made from chopsticks or toothpicks—are inserted into a cucumber to transform it into a horse. An eggplant receives the same treatment to become a cow.
An eggplant is given legs as well and becomes a cow.
Traditionally, each has a special meaning.
The cucumber horse is meant to help the ancestors return home quickly.
And the eggplant cow is meant to help them make their journey back slowly, as if the family wishes they could stay just a little longer.
It is a simple custom using vegetables that are readily available in summer. Yet behind this playful tradition is a deeply human feeling:
“Please come home safely. And please stay with us a little longer.”
The exact customs and meanings can vary depending on the region and Buddhist tradition in Japan.
What Did Obon Mean to Your Japanese Ancestors?
For Japanese Americans, Obon may feel like a tradition from a distant Japan—something your grandparents or great-grandparents may have known better than you do.
But if your family came to America from Japan, your ancestors may have grown up with traditions like these.
Where were they born?
What was their hometown like?
How did their family observe Obon?
What customs did they bring with them when they left Japan?
Following a family tree can reveal much more than names and dates.
It can help us discover how our ancestors actually lived—their hometowns, their customs, and the traditions they carried with them across the ocean.
Obon is a season for remembering those who came before us.
And perhaps, for Japanese Americans, it can also be an opportunity to reconnect with a part of Japan that has been waiting in the family story all along.
Curious where your name’s story begins?
Japanese Surname Report | Roots to Japan
Family Tree Building | Roots to Japan
Journey to find your Roots | Roots to Japan
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Photo by Shashin AC mayumoru
