HIGASHI HONGANJI OBON FESTIVAL SLATED FOR JULY 28th - 29th
The 48th Annual Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple Obon Festival will be held on the weekend of July 28th and 29th. This celebration in honor of our ancestors is one of the highlights of the Little Tokyo community and this year promises to be another exciting event.
One of the main attractions of Obon is the vibrant Bon Odori, which gives everyone, experienced and inexperienced, the opportunity to participate in folk dancing to honor loved ones who have passed away. For those interested in learning some of the dances, lessons are offered free-of-charge on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the temple social hall beginning at 7:00 pm. The first lessons will be on June 27th and 29th, and then after the 4th of July holiday, will resume on July 6th and will continue through July 25th.
The festival features a variety of foods including sushi, udon, chicken teriyaki, chili rice, tamales, kurimanju, shaved ice, and kintoki, as well as hamburgers, hot dogs, corn, and homemade desserts. In addition to the delicious lineup of food and drinks, there are games for kids and adults to enjoy outside and Bingo in the social hall throughout the day. Be sure to also visit the popular Farmers Market with its fresh produce, flowers, and plants and our Funjinkai Big Bargain Sale.
Another popular attraction at the Higashi Honganji Obon is the entertainment offered throughout the afternoon. Confirmed groups are taiko drumming groups, TAIKOPROJECT, Bombu Taiko, Kitsune Taiko, and Kinnara Taiko. In addition, there will be classical Japanese dance performances by Fujima Kansei Odori Kai, and also wonderful storytelling about the Asian Pacific Islander community by the hereandnow theater company. They will also join with the Lumbini school kids in a joint performance. Other talent scheduled to appear include June Kuramoto of Hiroshima, Local Mojo, an Asian jazz ensemble, and Matsumoto Full Contact Martial Arts.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple website at www.hhbt-la.org, call the temple office at 213-626-4200, or email .
Source: Higashi Honganji Temple