Higan and Ohagi: Japan's Equinox Weeks of Remembrance and Sweet Rice Cakes

Twice a year, when day and night are equal in length, Japan slows down for a week of quiet remembrance. Families clean ancestral graves, lay out flowers and incense, and bring plates of soft rice cakes covered in sweet bean paste. This is Higan, the equinox weeks of spring and autumn, and it is one of the most heartfelt seasonal customs in Japan.

This guide explains what Higan means, how it came from Buddhist ideas about crossing to the "other shore," what happens at graves and temples, and how the sweet known as ohagi (or botamochi in spring) fits in. It also gives visitors simple, respectful ways to observe the season and notes the two national holidays at its center.

What Higan Means

Higan is a Japanese Buddhist observance held for seven days around each equinox: three days before, the equinox day itself, and three days after. There are two periods each year, in spring around March 21 and in autumn around September 23. The name is the Japanese reading of a Chinese rendering of a Sanskrit term meaning "the other shore." In Buddhist thought, ordinary life is "this shore," the world of struggle and desire, while reaching enlightenment is crossing over to "the other shore."

The week is also known by the polite form ohigan. The idea behind the timing is that at the equinoxes the sun rises due east and sets due west. Many people associate the west with the Pure Land of Amida Buddha, so the setting sun at this time was seen as pointing toward a place of peace. Some folklorists believe the custom may even be older than Buddhism, growing out of sun worship and respect for ancestors.

Roots in the Heian Period

The first Buddhist Higan ceremony, known as Higan-e, is said to have been held in the year 806, in the Heian period. Over the following centuries the observance became a time for remembering ancestors, and today it has a strong family character. The memorial services of Higan are said to be performed only in Japan, which is part of what makes the custom distinctive.

Temples hold special services during these weeks, and many families visit even if they do not follow a religion day to day. The custom feels closely connected to Obon, the summer festival of ancestors, but it is calmer and simpler. Where Obon involves lanterns and dances, Higan is mostly about family visits and quiet prayer. Because it comes at the turn of the seasons, it also carries a hopeful tone: the weather changes, the days lengthen or shorten, and the household pauses to say thanks.

Two National Holidays

At the middle of each Higan week stands a national holiday. Vernal Equinox Day (Shunbun no Hi) is described in Japan's holiday law as a day for the admiration of nature and the love of living things. Autumnal Equinox Day (Shubun no Hi) is a day to honor ancestors and remember the departed. Both were established in 1948.

These holidays often create a long weekend, which makes it easier for families to travel to hometowns and visit graves. They are also tied to the calendar's twenty-four solar terms, with shunbun and shubun among the major turning points. The exact dates vary by a day depending on the year, so check a Japanese calendar before planning travel or restaurant reservations, since transport can be busy.

Visiting the Grave

The central act of Higan is ohakamairi, visiting the family grave. People clean the headstone with water and a cloth, remove weeds, and set out fresh flowers, incense sticks and offerings of food. Then they pour water over the stone, light incense, and put their hands together in prayer, thinking of those who have passed away. Many temples sell flowers, incense and buckets, and graveyards provide ladles and water taps.

Buddhist teaching holds that the connection between the living and ancestors is especially close at Higan, just as it is at Obon. For visitors, graveyards are private family spaces, so it is best to admire them from the paths and not step into family plots. If you are invited to join a family, follow their lead and bow before and after prayer.

Ohagi and Botamochi

The signature food is a rice cake coated with sweet azuki (red bean) paste, usually shaped into a round ball about the size of a small fist. In autumn it is called ohagi, named after hagi, the bush clover that blooms at that time. In spring it is called botamochi, after the botan, or peony, that flowers around the spring equinox. The two names are often said to be the same sweet in different seasons.

Details differ in different households. One theory says botamochi is made with smooth, strained bean paste and ohagi with chunky whole-bean paste, because autumn beans have soft skins at harvest, while the skins of stored beans harden by spring. Another notes that the rice is usually a mix of glutinous and ordinary rice, left slightly textured. Fillings and coatings also vary by region, including kinako (roasted soybean flour), black sesame, aonori (dried green seaweed) and zunda, a sweet green paste made from edamame in northeastern Japan.

How Ohagi Became the Offering

Azuki beans are common in offerings in Japan, and sweet rice cakes were presented at graves and household altars to pray for a good crop. One explanation says botamochi began as white mochi or dumplings offered to the gods, which were then dipped in red beans. Early versions were lightly salted; sweeter versions spread widely after white sugar became easier to buy in the Meiji era (1868 to 1912).

Today ohagi is sold at wagashi (Japanese confectionery) shops, supermarkets and convenience stores in the week or two around the equinoxes. Many families still make it at home, and children often help roll the rice into balls. It is eaten as an offering first and then shared, a small act that links the table with the altar.

Higan Flowers and the Changing Weather

Autumn Higan comes with a flower that Japanese people link strongly to the season: the red spider lily, called higanbana, which means "Higan flower." Its bright red blooms appear along rice paddies and paths right around the equinox, and a field of them is a popular autumn photo subject.

Weather is part of the story, too. Temperatures often shift noticeably after the equinoxes, warming after the spring equinox and cooling after the autumn one. A well-known saying notes that the heat and cold last only until Higan, a reminder that the season has turned.

Tips for Visitors

You do not have to be Buddhist to observe Higan respectfully. Visit a temple during the week to hear services and see families in prayer; walk quietly and keep photography discreet, especially near graves. Many temples welcome visitors during daytime hours, though some are quiet and private, so look at signs and follow staff instructions.

To taste the season, look for ohagi in wagashi shops or department store food halls, often sold in small boxes of two to four pieces. Spring versions are usually labeled botamochi. Because it is a festive and sacred time, avoid loud behavior near graveyards. And if you travel by train during the holiday weekend, book seats ahead, since families often travel to their hometowns together.