If you hear a deep, sonorous rumbling in Mountain View this weekend, don’t worry. It’s not a rogue Caltrain or Google testing a self-flying plane. It’s the annual Mountain View Obon Festival and its powerful taiko drummers.
This year’s Obon Festival, hosted by the Mountain View Buddhist Temple, will take place on Saturday, July 18, from 4 to 10 p.m. and Sunday, July 19, from noon to 9 p.m. The festivities are held on the temple grounds, at 575 N. Shoreline Blvd., across from the Bailey Park Shopping Center. Admission and on-site parking are free.
The Obon Festival is a Japanese Buddhist tradition that celebrates the spirits of one’s ancestors. Traditionally, the festival serves as a homecoming opportunity when relatives come together to remember loved ones and celebrate the joy of life, according to organizers.
The family-focused holiday will be celebrated with a variety of family-friendly events and entertainment.
On Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., the festival offers hands-on Japanese cultural activities. Children can learn how to write their names with brush calligraphy, fold origami, arrange flowers in traditional ikebana style and create their own hachimaki headbands.
The temple grounds will be open for strolling, with Japanese cultural displays that include ikebana floral arrangements, bonsai trees, suiseki rock gardens and Japanese doll exhibits. A flower shop, bookstore and crafts stand will be available for souvenir shopping.
The festival’s selection of food and drink is prepared with the help of a week-long community volunteer effort. Classic Japanese dishes will include chicken and beef teriyaki, tempura, sushi and udon noodles. Non-Japanese fare will be available as well, in the form of corn dogs, fries, Polish sausages and corn-on-the-cob.
“It’s a time of homecoming for many families,” said Mountain View Buddhist Temple board member Mike Inouye. “In fact, there are family recipes involved that have been passed down through the generations.”
But the festival attraction that guests come back for year after year is the Bon Odori dancing and taiko drumming. Dance is a key element of the Obon festival. According to the folk origins of the festival, the music and dance are intended to welcome the spirits of the dead.
“For decades, visitors have lamented that the dancing is only on Sunday night. This year, both days will finish off with a dance, and all are welcome to share in the festival experience,” said Inouye.
New this year is the “Maui Style” dance on Saturday at 8 p.m. According to Inouye, the term refers to a more relaxed, communal dance celebration, compared to the more formal Bon Odori on Sunday evening. For the Sunday performance, dancers spend a lot of time and effort getting dressed in kimonos or yukatas for the dances, which have been rehearsed for two weeks prior to the festival.
The Obon Festival is the main fundraiser for the Mountain View Buddhist Temple, a nonprofit organization. “The funds go, annually, to a variety of things including operational costs, facility maintenance and upgrade, retrofit and maintenance of the temple structures, plus any future expansion,” Inouye said.
Email Shannon Chai at schai@embarcaderopublishing.com
