A two-day festival this weekend turned the one of the nation’s oldest Japantowns into a celebration of ancestral blessings, culture and history.
The annual San Jose Obon Festival & Bazaar, presented by the Buddhist Church Betsuin, featured taiko drumming, traditional dancing, cultural booths, food stalls and games.
The highlight of both evenings was the Bon Odori dance of joy and remembrance, with festivalgoers joining the dancers dressed in traditional costume. In 2024, the dancing broke festival records with 1,725 Obon attendees hitting the streets to folk music — “Shiawase Samba” — by the Chidori Band and San Jose Taiko.
According to church records, San Jose’s earliest Obon gathering was held in 1936, though odori dancing was noted here as early as 1904 — two years after the church was founded.
Visitors arrive to enjoy the first day of the San Jose Obon Festival in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Taiko drummer Stewart Kume performs during the San Jose Obon Festival in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Dylan Lew, 3, of San Ramon, tosses an orange ping-pong ball while playing games at the San Jose Obon Festival in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Members of the San Jose Taiko perform during the San Jose Obon Festival in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Kyle Crow, of Santa Cruz, wears a Kabuki mask while attending the San Jose Obon Festival in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Alex Tsukahara, left, and Brett Low work the hot oil machine while making tempura during the San Jose Obon Festival in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)