Back to Obon!

Saturday July 9th – 12:00pm – 10:00pm

Sunday July 10th – 12:00pm – 8:00pm

The Obon festival/season continues to be an important time in our community and we are exited to be able to come together again!

As with many things, it takes a while to transition back to “normal”.  You’ll see much (but not 100%) of our typical booths at this year’s festival including chicken teriyaki, corn, tempura, and much more.

We also plan to live stream segments of the weekend for people to watch virtually.

For more information please go to our Obon Frequently-Asked-Questions page below.

Obon Frequently Asked Questions

Giving in Gratitude

Obon. We are so very excited to be returning to our traditional Obon Festival this year! With so much time to reflect over the past two years, the importance of our community, friends and traditions that connect us is almost overwhelming. As we slowly return to seeing our friends, enjoying our favorite activities and reconnecting with our lives, the feeling of ‘community’ is once again changing. Yes, we adapted to the pandemic and learned new ways to hold onto each other, but today we are starting a new chapter and adapting once again, back to our time-honored traditions…together. Grateful. 

Obon is a time to remember and honor those who have provided us with a strong and lasting foundation. And as we emerge from this historically challenging time, we acknowledge that much of our own courage, strength and compassion are rooted within our families, friends and loved ones. We celebrate our ancestors and our community. 

Giving In Gratitude has become an important and sincere expression of our gratitude for our past and the Betsuin. Our Obon Festival might be smaller in scope this year but the essence and energy remains the same. We are grateful and recognize the significant role of the Betsuin and Sangha in our lives. In the spirit of Obon and with gratitude, we hope you find this way of giving both meaningful and valuable. 

Let’s celebrate Obon by remembering family and friends we have lost, mindful and grateful for how they continue to be a part of our lives.

DONATE TODAY!

Craft Zone!

Obon is more than dancing and eating. There are many traditional decorations and items that are associated with it. And many of them can be made as craft projects by kids of all ages. Here are some craft activities for Obon that come from the teachers at Lotus Preschool and the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Dharma School (Sunday school) teachers.

Check out a couple crafts we have put together to create at home!

Color my Obon!

Coloring is soooooo soothing for kids of all ages! These coloring pages are by our resident mangaka-in-training, Hitomi Kohno. In these pages, she highlights the quintessential parts of the Obon Festival like the Taiko drumming, the yummy food and of course, the Obon Odori (dancing). So get your inner artist on and color in these pages! Then go to the Facebook site and post a pic!

You may choose to download and print each one or print from the zip file of the entire collection.

How to Put on an Yukata

In an in-person Obon Festival, we have a literal army of volunteers who help people put on their yukata.

This year to help we asked our local expert, Megumi Riel, for her assistance in creating this video.

Megumi goes thru the basics as well as the finer pointers that could make that yukata fit perfectly!

More resources

2020 & 2021 Obon@Home Videos

2018 & 2019 Obon Videos

2018 Obon Photos | Joe Na, Joenagraphy

VIEW MORE PHOTOS