Recognition of the word "Obondama" among seniors 2016-2019, by gender

In an online survey of 2019, about 35 percent of Japanese men and around 47 percent of Japanese women aged between 55 and 74 years old said that they knew the word "Obondama". In total, the word was recognized by 41.5 percent of respondents. Recognition of the word has increased in recent years as the custom has spread from Yamagata Prefecture to other parts of Japan. Similar to the Otoshidama given by adult relatives to children on New Year's Day, Obondama is a money gift that can be given during the Buddhist Obon festival in summer. As families tend to gather during this time, grandparents have the opportunity to give presents to their grandchildren.