“There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from...[and enjoy].”
—Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
After attending the first exotic car show in Campbell Saturday, Bill and I decided to ride our bikes to the vibrant community of Japantown to checkout the Obon Festival, which is a celebration of Japanese culture and heritage that takes places every summer. We arrived just as the food booths and San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin—which organized the event—opened. The church is supported by many volunteers and sponsors.
Bill and I had Teriyaki Chicken breast and rice. Then, I visited the interior of the temple which had several altars. The docents were very welcoming and said we could take as many photos as we wanted. The festival featured the popular San Jose Taiko drummers who celebrated their 50th Anniversary. At about 12:30 we watched the Stanford Taiko Drumming group perform. They were superb. Bill had mentioned that one of his sons, Clark was in a Taiko drumming group while in high school. Bill and I have a lot of respect for the Japanese culture and cuisine, and have both spent time in Japan for pleasure and business.
The first Obon Festival was held at this same location since 1935. For Japanese natives, Obon can translate to mean "The Lantern Festival" or the "Festival of the Dead,” honoring the spirits of those who have passed away, who have influenced and contributed to their lives. The idea is also to create an environment that brings the community together. Everyone is welcomed, and we certainly were...In some ceremonies in places like Hawaii, at the end of the Obon festival, lanterns are released into the nearest body of water, so that the spirtits of the ancestors can return to the other worldly realm.
Postscript: As we were riding our bikes out of the festival, I spotted an owner of some Akitas, a large, powerful, muscular breed of dog, orginating from the mountains of northern Japan. "I used to have one named Ninja," I said: “Would you like to pet them," he asked? When I got off my bike to accept the invitation, they startted barking. The owner said, “They are very gentle.” And gentle they were.
