Spirit boats (Shara-bune) are made to send off the spirits of ancestors who return during Obon. These straw boats are decorated with colorful festival flags, loaded with offerings, and floated away as part of a Buddhist ceremony for sending off spirits. The boats are 6 to 9 meters long, with 4 to 5 people boarding them, and they are towed out of the bay while being accompanied by Bon festival songs and Buddhist chants.