Obon Reaching Beyond JAs
By Kristyn Tanaka--
It was Nick and Lee Zello’s first time to attend an Obon festival at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin’s on the weekend of July 10-11. They had been invited by their Japanese neighbor, who was dancing on the stage.
Unaware of the history and tradition behind Obon, they were very curious and eager to learn more about it. Nick joked that they would surprise their neighbor the next day with their new knowledge of Obon.
San Jose’s Obon brought a variety of first-timers as well as old-timers. As the Obon dancers passed, young Hishi Oto explained the meaning of the moves to his friends. When asked what brought them to this traditional Japanese festival, Oto’s friend responded, “Culture, fun, good food,” another friend chimed in, “Observing other cultures,” and the last one gave an enthusiastic shout for “Food and sake!”
A group of young people enjoyed beers and beef teriyaki kabobs nearby. Jane Gonzales explained that they were all dancing for a friend’s grandfather who had passed away. “My friend’s grandma was really excited that we all danced,” she said.
Several families said that their reason for attending this year’s Obon was to honor a particular family member who had recently passed away.
Haruna Takahashi, from Japan, had future generations in mind. She wanted her daughters, Hana and Millika, one in a stroller and one just old enough to dance, to experience Obon.
Representing the more traditional side to Obon, a group of older women, known as the Fujinkai ladies, were busy preparing the 640 pounds of rice on the evening before the festival. One of the ladies, Stella Iwasaki, commented that while Obon was a time to honor one’s ancestors, it is also “a time to get together.” She was excited to see old friends. “Many of the people I haven’t seen since last year’s Obon,” she remarked.
History and Tradition of Obon
In the Buddhist tradition, it is said our ancestors come back to our homes for a period of time during Obon. We set out their favorite foods or fresh fruits and little dishes of rice in front of the butsudan (a small shrine to family members who have passed away). On the last day of Obon, we have a festival. We dress in a summer kimono made of cotton called a yukata and celebrate with dancing known as the Bon-odori (Obon dance).
In Kyoto, Obon is celebrated by lighting large kanji (Chinese characters) and images on the side of the mountains surrounding the city. The images include a torii (shrine marker) and an outline of a ship. These fires, in addition to the many floating lanterns people send out on ponds and lakes, are said to lead the way for the ancestors to make their journey back to where they came from.
Mas Horiuchi of San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin described the festival as a “dance for joy for past ancestors, joy for their eventual release to the Pure Land.”
Future generations
The concern around Japantown is often centered on the need for future generations to carry on the Japanese traditions to keep Japantown alive. The younger generations seemed to be doing their job during San Jose’s Obon weekend as they shared the culture in which they seemed to have so much pride with friends and family who, while clueless about the tradition and history, were honored to take part in and learn about Obon.
Mitsuko Horinouchi may not have been dancing in the ring of dancers, but she twirled about and clapped her hands enthusiastically, clearly following every dance move from the outside of the circle. Born and raised in Japan, Horinouchi has attended countless Obon festivals. “As a full-blooded Japanese,” she said, “it’s good to see the tradition living on ... good to see the young people here.” She sees Obon as a way to “go back to the roots,” “re-learn the tradition,” and be reminded of her heritage.
While the individuals at Obon represented an array of ages, sizes, shapes, and colors, the underlying theme seemed to be community, fun, culture, and, of course, food. The fundamentals of Obon are based on honoring our ancestors, but in the process we come together in joyful spirit to honor each other.
