"Hozuki (Physalis alkekengi, or Japanese lantern)" bloomed in our flower garden.
From ancient times, Japanese decorate the "Hozuki" for protection against evil, and as a symbol of lights leading ancestors' souls safely back to our home, in Obon season.
Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of our ancestors. The Obon is celebrated in July in Eastern Japan, while in Western Japan it's in August.
It's believed that each year during obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world to visit.
