Growing up, Japantown’s Obon Festival in San Jose marked the height of summer for me every year. With a variety of activities, this event attracts many people, both within San Jose’s Japanese community and outside. In San Jose, Obon is a two-day event, held to honor loved ones who have passed away by hanging lanterns and dancing Bon Odori, but it has also become a place for old friends to simply reconnect.
This year, Obon was especially significant as the Buddhist temple’s reverend, Gerald Sakamoto, announced his retirement after 39 years of serving this community. Additionally, we celebrated Reiko Iwanaga, the beloved dance instructor, who was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment of the Arts for her contributions to Japanese folk dance and its preservation.
The festival is also a way for many Japantown organizations—such as our Girl/Boy Scout troops, Junior Young Buddhist Association, and Lotus Preschool—to fundraise for the coming years. Through the efforts of many children, parents, teachers, and volunteers, Obon offers entertaining games, refreshing drinks, and of course, lots and lots of Japanese food. At 12:00 p.m., I arrived in Japantown to begin my shift working in the Plink game booth refilling ping pong balls, retrieving ones stuck in the machine, and handing out prizes. At 2:00 p.m., I walked over to the gym for my shift, prepping ramen for thousands (I’m not lying) of customers. After two and a half hours of artfully placing tempura flakes and bamboo shoots into bowls of noodles, I was lucky enough to get a bowl for free (and let me tell you, nothing has ever tasted that good).
In addition to food and games, Obon also provides the opportunity to support local Japanese businesses. During my break between shifts, I walked around with Mia Hanuska and Jocelyn Hwang, popping into Kogura Co.—a vintage store filled to the brim with bowls, chopsticks, and more—and Biscuits—a pet store with free samples. If festival food isn’t for you, there is also Minato’s, Kazoo, and Kaita (just to name a few), less than a block away, where you can sit down, rest your feet, and enjoy various Japanese dishes.
Dancing on Saturday began at 7:30 p.m., but the preparation started earlier. On the second floor of the Lotus preschool building, myself along with several other girls, met at 6:15 p.m. to receive help with putting our yukatas (lighter versions of kimonos) on. After being pulled in 50 different directions, I finally had everything I needed to begin dancing. The church hosts dance practices before the actual festival, but I typically just wing it and follow the more professional dancers on the yagura! After dancing, free ice cream is handed out.
There are numerous things to do when visiting San Jose’s Obon that I have unfortunately glossed over in this article. Bonsai sales, bingo, rigged games, hardwon prizes, and more—all can be found when walking around Japantown. Additionally, if you miss San Jose’s Obon, Buddhist temples around the Bay Area all host their own events during the summer.
