• Home
  • About
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Travel
    • Lake Tahoe
    • Alaska
    • Arizona
    • California
    • Massachusetts
    • Nevada
  • Shop
    • Recently Purchased
    • Shop My Looks
    • Black Friday Shopping
  • Contact Me
    • Work With Me
    • Disclosure
    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Catherine Chicotka

Northern California Obon Festival: San Jose

July 19, 2017 This post may contain affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you if you buy from one of the product links, I’ll earn a small commission which helps this site run. See full disclosure here.

Obon is an annual Buddhist event to commemorate one’s ancestors. Traditionally families gather together to clean graves and welcome the spirits of ancestors that return to Earth to visit. Several locations in Northern California host Obon Festivals. One of the more popular festivals takes place in Japantown, a community in downtown San Jose. There are Obon Festivals in

San Jose's Obon Festival

Head down early to save seats for the Taiko drumming, which begins around noon. Get a coffee or tea at Roy’s Station while you wait for the performances to start. There are multiple performances throughout the afternoon and several different Taiko groups from around the state perform over the weekend.

San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival

A large food tent offers a variety of Japanese food, but the Gyoza was definitely my favorite! Walk around the corner to get some shaved ice at Shuei-Do Manju Shop or across the street at Banana Crêpe. These are very popular stops on a warm day, so try to go early!

San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival

Everything features bright colors, flowers, and lanterns. The banners hang from the lamp posts year round, but they match the decor of the Obon Festival.

San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival

The Buddhist temple is open so definitely stop in to look around the temple between Taiko performances. Preserved during the war, the building and its decor are original. The outdoor garden area is a beautiful spot to take some pictures.

San Jose's Obon Festival
CatherinSan Jose's Obon Festivale Chicotka Fashion
San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival

Later in the evening, the traditional Bon Odori dancing begins. Men, women, and children dress in beautiful kimonos or matching family outfits.

San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival

Each of the lanterns has a name commemorating a loved one. While the festival doesn’t go late into the evening, the lanterns looked really spectacular at night time.

San Jose's Obon Festival
San Jose's Obon Festival

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr

July 19, 2017 Filed Under: California

« 15 Maxi Dresses for Summer
Reading Lately July 2017 »

Comments

  1. Kay says

    July 19, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    What a cute little Festival!

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      July 21, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      It was so cute! I loved all the flowers and bright colors. It was a fun and unique experience!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Catherine Chicotka

I love fashion, beauty, and traveling the world. Hoping to inspire you to travel as well while sharing fashion and beauty tips.

I haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on my list!

Read more about me here!

Stay up to date!

Subscribe to my mailing list to get travel guides, exclusive travel tips, and pictures of the beautiful world!

Thank you for subscribing!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Readers Favorites

  • Lake Tahoe Hiking Guide
    Lake Tahoe Hiking Guide
  • The Ultimate Fairbanks Travel Guide
    The Ultimate Fairbanks Travel Guide

Follow Me on Pinterest!

Where I Shop

Nordstrom

Revolve

Tuckernuck

J. Crew

L.L. Bean

Sephora

My favorite spot to watch the sunrise 😍 My favorite spot to watch the sunrise 😍
Sometimes you just need to get up early and go wat Sometimes you just need to get up early and go watch the sunrise in a hot spring
Lake Tahoe looks so beautiful covered in snow ❄️😍
From our last morning in Montana 😍 We might be From our last morning in Montana 😍 We might be already planning a return road trip.. mostly because Justin is really upset he didn’t see his grizzly bear 🤣
Just looking for a grizzly bear 🐻 Just looking for a grizzly bear 🐻
Paradise doesn’t have to be tropical 🏔❄️ Paradise doesn’t have to be tropical 🏔❄️
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 · glam theme by Restored 316

  • Disclosure
  • Contact Me
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead More