Young and Old, Traditional and Modern Meet at the Japanese Obon Festival

By Anna Mai

In the heart of Silicon Valley, Japanese community members and Japanese enthusiasts alike came together July 12th and 13th at the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin for the Obon.

Obon is a traditional Japanese Buddhist festival held during the 7th lunar month (typically around August) when the souls of dead ancestors are said to return home for three days. During this time, family and community come together to commemorate the lives of those lost through formal religious services, private prayer, and food offerings to the spirits at the family altar. The Obon Festival is similar to the Christian All Soul's Day and the Chinese Festival of the Hungry Ghosts (Gui Jie).

The spiritual celebration of Obon occurs within the individual villages of Japan, however, in the U.S., Japanese American Buddhist churches organize large festivals complete with carnival games conducted by local Boy and Girl Scout troops, bingo, raffles, food, and cultural performances consisting of singing, Taiko drumming, and Bon Odori dancing.

All were present at the San Jose Obon Festival when I stopped by on Saturday to check out the cultural extravaganza. The emphasis of the San Jose festival was clearly on family and community. The generation gap that has widened with the impact of American culture in the Japanese community narrowed as young and old came together to celebrate one thing this weekend -- Japanese culture.

The grand finale of the festival brought together nearly 700 Bon Odori dancers dressed in kimonos, yukatas (summer cotton kimonos), and hopi coats to perform a variety of Japanese dances. The movements depict the livelihood of the villagers such as fishermen, coal miners, and farmers.

But the Odori dance is more than just a performance for the audience; it is a community and religious celebration. The dancers meet at the local Buddhist church for weeks before the Obon Festival to learn the dances. Men and women, boys and girls of all ages, some as young as two years participate in the tradition of Odori. Even those in the audience who have not attended practices are even encouraged to participate.

Aside from the dancing, there was also Taiko drumming performances by San Jose Taiko, and other guest drumming groups. The Chidori band provided background music as festival-goers mingled about, sampling Japanese cuisine, playing carnival games, and most importantly, talking with friends and family.

If you'd like to experience Obon for yourself, check your local events calendars online for a festival near you.

For those in the Bay Area that missed the San Jose festival, the Mountain View Buddhist Temple will hold its Obon Festival this weekend July 19-20th. Contact the Mountain View Buddhist Temple for more information at mvbt@aol.com or (415) 964-9426.

July 18, 2003