Celebrating the Neopagan Wheel of the Year in Japan

Autumn Equinox (Mabon) (around September 23rd)

Like Spring Equinox, the Autumn Equinox is celebrated as part of Higan and is a public holiday. Autumn is a big deal in Japan and you won’t find it hard to find autumn-related goods and seasonal food for your offerings. The Full Moon of September is celebrated as Otsukimi (the Moon Viewing Festival), in which offerings are made to the Moon – if you celebrate the Esbats, consider making it extra special for Otsukimi.

Samhain (October 31st)

The closest public holiday to Samhain is Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) on November 3rd, which as its name suggests is a time for celebrating culture in all its forms. Aside from the two equinoxes, the main time for venerating the dead in Japan is the Buddhist observance of Obon in August. Halloween is celebrated on October 31^st, but it is a comparatively minor event in Japan that has all of the commercial aspects with none of the spiritual trappings. Nevertheless, this does mean that you will be able to find costumes and Halloween-themed decorations and snacks for your Samhain celebrations! Some Japanese also observe Otsukimi at the October Full Moon as well, so you could blend your Sabbat and Esbat celebrations together if the Full Moon is close to Samhain.