Humboldt’s First Obon Festival

Obon Festival Humboldt Style

August 14, 2022   4-8 pm
Creamery District, Arcata

Humboldt celebrated it’s first Obon Festival which is a traditional Japanese Festival to honor those who came before. Obon included a blessing by Rinban Sakamoto from San Jose Buddhist Church, traditional dancing, performances by Humboldt Taiko, altar and ancestors’s tree with tanzashi (vertical slips of paper with personal rememberances of loved ones).

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. Our first obon had a blessing by a Buddhist priest, shared the stories and traditions of Obon, and provided an altar to honor our ancestors. Our festival also included food vendors (Asian and Pacific Islander cuisine), children’s activities, Bon dancing, performances by Humboldt Taiko and shakuhachi flute performances by Rick Kruse.  HAPI is grateful to the many community volunteers that helped to organize this event If you would like to help with next year’s Obon festival, email HAPI at hapi.humboldt@gmail.com.  HAPI is grateful for the sponsorship of the Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation.

We are thankful for the blessing of our Obon festival by Rinban Sakamoto from the San Jose Betsuin.

Sponsors: HAPI, Humboldt Area Foundation/Wild Rivers Community Foundation, Maverick and Haywood, and Visual Concepts, Arcata.

Want to know more about Humboldt Obon?

Obon Dances

1. Bon Odori no Uta (uchiwa)
2. Matsumoto Bon Bob (uchiwa)
3. Soran Bushi
4. Ichi Tasu Ichi no Ondo
5. Tokyo Ondo
6. Unagappo Ondo
7. Tanko Bushi
8. Shiawasa Samba
9. Bon Odori no Uta (uchiwa)

Big Thank You to Sensei Craig Kurumada for teaching and sharing the wonderful and fun Obon dances. The Obon lessons were free and videos of the dances made available on-line.

Photo by Mark Larson