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Summary of What to Expect at an 2010 Annual Japanese Obon Festival in America (Japan)
Celebrate the Thrilling Sights, Sounds and Tastes of the Japanese Experience at Summer Obon Festivities
Japanese Summer Obon festivals feature delicious Japanese food like sushi, tempura, chicken & beef teriyaki, udon, noodles, corn, Okinawa dangos, Hawaiian shave-ice, spam musabi and much more, plus Western food, Japanese Cultural Exhibits, Children & Adult Games and Food Booths, Bookstore, Flower Shop, Craft Booth, Children's Hands-on Cultural Activities and Entertainment by the Temple Taiko groups. The "Bon Odori," Japanese Folk dancing with colorful kimono and happi coat-clad dancers, check date and times. This summer event is expected to be participated by everyone. The locations of the Summer Obon could be at a local Japanese Temple or church, to local Japanese Cultural Centers to the streets of Little Tokyo during Nisei Week.

Japanese Obon Festival Background (Purpose)
Obon or Bon is an annual Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the deceased (departed) spirits of one's ancestors that have past away and to honor (remember) them. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.

Japan's Annual Obon Festival is held throughout Japan.  This Japanese Buddhist custom is to honor the souls of one's ancestors and is celebrated as a reminder of the gratefulness one should feel toward one's ancestors.

Japanese Obon Time Not a National Holiday
Although this is not an official national holiday in Japan, most Japanese families will take it as a holiday. Obon is an event that goes on for a whole week and almost every family will honor it.

Ancestors Spirits Return During Obon Time
During Obon each year the Japanese believe that the spirits of their ancestors return. It's a time when those who are still living, can guide and help their ancestors' spirits to find peace and for themselves to find peace.

What to Expect During a Japanese Obon Festival
What to expect during a Japanese Obon Festival?  The purpose of Obon is to remember one's deceased relatives, but it is also meant to be a joyful time to celebrate life. It is believed that the spirits of ones ancestors return to the world on the first day of Obon Week and leave again on the final day. For this reason, one Obon tradition is always carried out within the family and this is at the family altar, where dolls fashioned out of a cucumber and an eggplant are placed inside the altar.

What To Wear During Obon Festivals? Japanese Yukata or Kimono?
During the summer Japanese Obon, people wear their summer kimonos known as Yukata, others wear their happi-coats representing and supporting their local temple, and everyone else wear casual clothing.  The Yukata is a light cotton kimono for wearing in summer. Yukatas normally have bright colored designs printed on the material. Today these kimonos are mainly worn to the traditional Bon-Odori and summer festivals. The material is relatively lightweight and the design is simple enough to put on by oneself versus the more complicated kimono where you need someone's help.

Travel Season in Japan During Obon Holidays
The most popular of the Japanese festivals is Obon Week. Japanese Obon Week is held each year around the middle of August and is one of the most busiest travel season for families in Japan.  Also expect the peak of the Obon travel season between August 8 and August 16 with Japanese families leaving to visit their families during the August August 8 time frame. 

Bon Odori (Folk Dancing) O-bon Holidays
Bon Odori = Bon dance (dancing). Bon dance is held during the Obon Festival an annual event every year. 

The Bon Odori Dance During an Obon Festival Matsuri
While Bon Odori music is playing, they perform dance routines that are traditional dances through all the obon festivals in Japan. The feeling of ancestors spirits are dancing with loved ones during the ceremony. The feeling of harmony is felt during each song and the spiritual nature of peace is felt with the dancers. 

Bon-Odori (or folk dance (dancing), Bon dance), was once believed to give help to the spirit of the dead during the obon festival. During the Bon Odori, all people can participate during the dances including all men, women, seniors and the very youngest children.  Some of the Bon dances use fans which are given out before the dance, others songs use small towels.

The Bon dance tradition is said to have started in the later years of the Muromachi period as a public entertainment. In the course of time, the original religious meaning has faded, and the dance has become associated with summer.

Bon Odori Music During an Obon Festival Holidays
The music that is played during the Bon dance is not limited to Obon music; some pop songs like one of the Beach Boys songs have been added to the American Obon festivals.. with one to multiple Taiko drummers.

Toro-nagashi or Floating Lanterns Mark End of the Obon Festival Holidays
The festival of lanterns is held during the season of hanabi. The lights symbolize the souls of ancestors who have departed. The lanterns are placed on bays, rivers, lakes, or sea and allowed to drift away just as the ancestors return to their graves. This marks the end of the festivities with fireworks to scare away any spirits that might be around.

Also in Japan lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the souls of ancestors spirits.

Festival Location of Bon Odori Dancing  
Japanese Festivals are held at a temple, shrine compounds, Japanese cultural centers or a open public place or public streets. There is usually multiple an oval or circular lines where people line up and dance. The larger attended Obon Festivals would have multiple inner oval lines to accommodate the many people. 

Unusually a raised wooden platform, stage or tower stand is placed in the middle with a Taiko drummer pounding away to the beat of the music.  Family and friends spectators will line the outside of the oval circle as people dance all night long.  During the night Taiko drummers rotate throughout the nights music, sometimes representing different Temples or Taiko groups.

Northern Versus Southern California Japanese Obon Festivals (Matsuri 2009 and Matsuri 2010)
Most of the Japanese-American Obon Festivals are concentrated in California, were Northern California and Southern California hold a majority of all Japanese American Obon festivals.  Nichi Bei Times (Obon & Bazaar Guide) and Southern District Obon Festival Schedule have a complete list of the Obon Festivals from California and Southern District Temples. Southern California has the largest amount of Japanese-American Obon Festivals in the United States.  The California Obon festivals are the largest series of events that generate the largest amount of people during the summer months.  These carnival type events happen week after week starting from June through the month of August . The locations of these Japanese-American events happen at  Temples, Churches, Japanese Cultural Centers to the streets of Little Tokyo.  

Japanse Obon Terms Used To Define Annual Japanese American Festivals (Matsuri)
Obon Festival = Carnival, carnivals, Festivals type celebration, matsuri, festive bazaar, Obons Festivals Listings
Obon Dance = Odori Dancing, Obon Odori, Folk Dancing or Folk dance, Bon odori, o-bon, Bon dance
Japan Obon festivals or Japanese matsuri = information on festivals (matsuri) and description of Japanese festivals

2010 Japanese Church & Temple Annual Obon Bon Odori Festival Locations
Arizona Buddhist Temple, 4142 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85019, Bon odori dance: 4 pm
    "Arizona Buddhist Temple Obon Festival"
Buddhist Church of Lodi, 23 N. Stockton St., Lodi, CA 95240, Bon odori dance: pm
    "Buddhist Church of Lodi Obon Bazaar"
Buddhist Temple of San Diego, 2929 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92102, Obon Bon odori dance: 5:30 pm
    "Buddhist Temple of San Diego Annual Obon Festival"
Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara, 1015 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Diablo Japanese American Club, 3165 Treat Blvd., Concord, CA 94518
    "Diablo Japanese American Summer Festival Obon Odori"
Gardena Buddhist Church, 1517 West 166th Street, Gardena, CA 90247, Bon odori dance: 6 pm
    "Gardena Buddhist Church Obon Carnival and Dance" (Largest Obon in Southern California)
Guadalupe Buddhist Church, 1072 Olivera Street, Guadalupe CA 93434, Bon odori dance: 12 noon
    "Guadalupe Buddhist Church Obon Festival"
    Veterans Memorial Building; 214 W Tunnel Street, Santa Maria, CA 93458
Harbor District Community Center, Long Beach Summer Festival, 1766 Seabright Ave., Long Beach, CA 90810, Bon odori dance: 7 pm
Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple, 505 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles/Little Tokyo, LA, CA 90013, Bon odori dance: 6:30 pm
    "2010 Obon Higashi Honganji 51st Anniversary Bon Odori"
Las Vegas Buddhist Sangha: Cimarron Memorial HS; 2301 N Tenaya Way, Las Vegas, NV, Bon odori dance: 1 pm
    "Las Vegas Buddhist Sangha Bon Odori"
LA - Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (Nishi), 815 East 1st Street, Los Angeles/Little Tokyo, LA, CA 90012, Bon odori dance: 6:30 pm
    "Nishi Hongwanji Obon Festival"
Long Beach Buddhist Church, 2360 Santa Fe Ave., Long Beach, CA 90810
Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center, 1766 Seabright Ave., Long Beach, CA 90810, Odori dancing 7pm
    "Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center Summer Obon Festival"
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach, FL 33446
    "33nd Annual Bon Festival - The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens - Japanese Obon"
Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple, 1155 Noche Buena St., Seaside CA 93955
Mountain View Buddhist Temple, 575 N. Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043, Obons Bon odori dance:
    "Mountain View Buddhist Temple - Obon Festival and Bon Odori"
Northern California Koyasan Temple, 1400 U Street, Sacramento, California 95818
Olympia - JACL Water St SW & Legion Way SW, Olympia, WA 98501
    "Olympia JACL Bon Odori"
Orange County Buddhist Church (OC), 909 South Dale Street, Anaheim, CA 92804, Obon Bon odori dance: 7 pm
    "Orange County OC Buddhist Temple, Obon and Carnival"
Oregon Buddhist Temple, 3720 SE 34th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202, Obons Bon odori dancing:
    "Obonfest 2010 - Obon Fest Oregon Buddhist Temple Obon Fest Festival"
Oxnard Buddhist Temple, 250 South "H" Street, Oxnard, CA 93030, Obons Bon odori dancing: 6 pm & 8pm
Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, 2751 Louis Road, Palo Alto CA 94303
Pasadena Buddhist Church, 1993 Glen Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103, Obons Bon odori dance: 6:30 pm
    "Pasadena Buddhist Church Obon"
Sacramento Japanese Methodist Church, 6929 Franklin Boulevard , Sacramento CA 95823
San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center, 12953 Branford St., Pacoima CA 91331
San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 9450 Remick Avenue, Pacoima, CA 91331, Obon Bon odori dance: 7pm & 6:30 pm
    "San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (SFVBT) Obon ",
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin SJBCB JTown, 640 N 5th St, San Jose, CA 95112, JapanTown, Obon Bon odori dance:
    "San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Obon Odori Festival SJBCB in Japantown"
San Luis Obispo Buddhist Temple SLOBT, 6996 Ontario Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405, Obon Bon odori dancing: 7 pm
    "San Luis Obispo Buddhist Temple Obon Odor SLOBT"
Seattle Buddhist Temple, 1427 S. Main Street, Seattle WA
    "75th Obon Anniversary Seattle Buddhist Temple Bon Odori"
Senshin Buddhist Temple, 1311 West 37th Street, Los Angeles/Little Tokyo, CA 90007, Obon Bon odori dance: 7:30 pm
    "Senshin Buddhist Temple Obon Odori Little Tokyo"
Southeast Japanese School & Community Center/Norwalk, 14615 Gridley Rd., Norwalk, CA, Obon Bon odori dance:
    "Southeast Japanese School & Community Center/Norwalk Summer Obon Bon Odori Festival"
Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church, 32975 Alvarado Niles Rd, Union City, CA 94587
    "Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church Bon Odori (Obon Festival)"
Steveston Buddhist Temple, 4360 Garry St,, Richmond, BC V7E 2V2 
    "Steveston Buddhist Temple Obon Dance & Festival "
Stockton Buddhist Temple, 2820 Shimizu Drive, Stockton, CA 95203-1123
    "Stockton Buddhist Temple Obon"
Sun Valley Buddhist Temple, 8850 Lankershim Boulevard, Sun Valley, CA 91352, Obons Bon odori dancing:
    "Sun Valley Buddhist Temple Obon"
Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple VHBT, 12371 Braddock Drive, Culver City, CA 90230, Obons Bon odori dance: 6:30 pm
    "Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon VHBT"
Venice Japanese Community Center - VJCC, 12448 Braddock Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90066, Bon odori dance:
    "VJCC Venice Japanese Community Center Summer Cultural Festival with Ondo Dancing"
Vista Buddhist Temple, 150 - Building B Cedar Road, Vista, CA 92083, Obons Bon odori dance: 7 pm
    "Vista Buddhist Temple's Annual Obon Festival"
Wesley United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall - 566 N. Fifth, San Jose CA 95112
West Covina Buddhist Temple, 1203 West Puente Avenue, West Covina, CA 91790, Obon Bon odori dance: 7 pm
    "West Covina Buddhist Temple Carnival and Obon Odori"
West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple – Obon & Carnival, 2003 Corinth Ave., West Los Angeles, CA, 90025, Obon Bon odori dancei: 6:30 pm.
    "West LA - West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple Obon Festival" West LA
Zenshuji Soto Mission, 123 So. Hewitt Street (in Little Tokyo), Los Angeles/Little Tokyo, LA, CA 90012, Obon Bon odori dancing:
    "Zenshuji Soto Mission 50th Annual Obon Festival Little Tokyo 2009", "Zenshuji Soto Mission 51st Annual Obon Festival 2010"

Additional Resources
Buddhist Church of Sacramento, 2401 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95818, Obon Bon odori dance:
    "Buddhist Church of Sacramento Obon Bon Odori"
Southern District Obon Festival Schedule, additional Obon Festivals listed for California
Nisei Week Closing Ceremony and Street Ondo Dancing
Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston, Portland, Oregon 97205, Obons Bon odori dancei: July
    "Portland Japanese Garden O-Bon The Spirit Festival"