San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon
|
||
| Licensing | ||
The San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple obon took place on Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1, 2007 in the transformed temple parking lot. There was food, the much loved and anticipated snow cone booth, games, bingo, exhibits and of course, dancing! The heat was no match for the fun-filled weekend. Children cooled off with water guns, while others relaxed with snow cones and indoor bingo. There was definitely something for everyone. It was nice to see a variety of people in attendance, various age groups, races, and genders. This goes to show just how diverse the Japanese American community is.
Slides in this album |
|
|
Ready to Dance!Although a majority of the attendees at the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (SFVBT) Obon were dressed in jeans and t-shirts, a few dressed up for the occassion! These two girls were part of the few... How cute!
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Ready to Dance |
eishida
|
YaguraThe Yagura, situated at the middle of the lot, housed 4 large taikos, and two more drums were on the ground. Later in the day, these drums were used to accompany the music that everyone danced to.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Taiko |
|
Relief From the Heat!Before the obon dancing started, people mingled, ate, drank, played games such as Bingo or the fishing game, and shopped. The children invented their own way to pass the time on this very hot day. I saw two teams of children with waterguns, participating in an all-out watergun battle. I …
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Relief from the Heat! |
|
Getting ReadyI noticed these women getting their hapi coats on, preparing for the dancing. The different colors represent the different temples that these women traveled from. There were many guests from neighboring temples that came out to support the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon. The community support was amazing. …
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Getting Ready |
|
Snow Cone BoothThe snow cones were a welcome source of relief from the hot day. The line at this booth never went down!
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Snow Cone Booth |
|
Cherry Snow ConeOne of the longest lines at the obon was at the booth selling snow cones. It might have been due to the scorching weather, but I also know that snow cones are often a favorite at festivals and obons in Southern California. Mine was especially delicious!
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Cherry Snow Cone |
|
Okinawan Dango BoothThere were many different types of food at this obon, including the Okinawan Dango, which were delicious!
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Okinawa Dango Booth |
|
Okinawan DangoThis delicious food is very similar to the "doughnut hole," though they are a bit larger. And they were very appetizing. The regular dangos are much smaller, are not deep-fried, and come on a stick. These ones were served to us in a zip-lock baggie, as is clear from the …
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Okinawa Dango |
|
BBQ!In addition to the many food booths, this barbeque was set up on the side, probably to cook the teriyaki food, which of course, was delicious.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - BBQ! |
|
Teriyaki Beef PlateYou can never get enough food at an obon festival. This is a picture of the Teriyaki Beef Plate. Although I did not taste any of it, it looked absolutely delicous. Included in the meal was beef teriyaki, corn on the cob, white rice and grapes. It was gone in …
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Teriyaki Beef Plate |
|
Dough Ball BoothI'm not exactly sure what a dough ball is, but it was interesting to see the different varieties of food available at this obon. I did notice, however, that there was often a line at this booth, so the dough balls must have been good.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dough Ball Booth |
|
Manju BoothThe San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon also had a manju booth. I didn't purchase any, because I was too stuffed from the other food, but I did notice that the ladies had an abundance of manju, and they looked very appetizing.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Manju Booth |
|
Chicken Salad BoothFor the more health consious, the SFVHBT obon provided a Chicken Salad booth.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Chicken Salad Booth |
|
Chashu BaoChashu Bao, also known as a pork bun, is delicious! This one was no different. There was a variety of food to choose from at the SFVHBT Obon on Saturday, including Teriyaki plates, snowcones, manju, and popcorn chicken. It all looked delicious.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Chashu Bao |
|
Popcorn ChickenThe popcorn chicken could not be overlooked. Although it tasted nothing like KFC popcorn chicken, it was still delicious. It came with seasoning and soy sauce.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Popcorn Chicken |
|
Bingo!To pass time before the dancing began, people played Bingo at the back of the temple. A constant stream of people were walking in and out of the building, as you can see in the picture. Bingo is often offered at obons throughout Southern California.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Bingo! |
|
Fishing!The fishing booth was one of the many booths that offered entertainment for children. Here, the participants attempted to throw their ping pong balls into one of the bowls arranged on the table. If their ball made it in, they received a prize. I saw one girl win a dollar …
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Fishing Booth |
|
Bonsai Exhibit and SaleOne aspect of the SFVHBT obon was the Bonsai Exhibit and sale. There were many bonsai on display, created and donated by different artists. Some were huge, others smaller, but all magnificent.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Bonsai Exhibit and Sale |
|
DollsPart of the SFVHBT obon festivities was a Japanese Doll exhibit. The picture here shows only a tiny fraction of the many beautiful dolls on display.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dolls |
|
Dancing!This was the first dance performed by the obon attendees. People participated regardless of race, gender or age. It was great to see so many young people taking part in the festivities. And, as you can see, the taiko players are playing along with the music in the background.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dancing! |
|
Dancing 2!The attendees at the SFVHBT obon looked like they had a good time dancing to the beat of the drum!
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dancing 2! |
|
BowThere were various dances at the SFVHBT obon, all with unique movments. This particular dance involved a bow and a pause at the end of each sequence. As you can see, some people took this move more seriously than others.
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Bow |
|
Look at the Crowd!As I left the obon, I turned around to take a picture of the entire transformed lot. It was packed, as you can see. I still cannot believe how so many people fit into such a tiny space!
2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Look at the Crowd! |
UCLA Nikkei Student Union Culture Night 2008
The Sculpture of Ruth Asawa: Contours in the Air - Audio Tour
Wakatay Restaurant-Peruvian Nikkei Cuisine
2007 Gardena Buddhist Church Obon
Frank Kikuchi
Hisako Hibi
San Jose Taiko and CAVA - 1st and Central Summer Concerts 2007
2007 Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple Obon
Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden - Timeline
Jack Iwata Collection
Journal feed
