By Town Crier Staff Report
For the 50th year, Mountain View Buddhist Temple members will be offering the tastes of teriyaki and the sounds of beating taiko drums during their annual Obon Festival, scheduled 4-10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m., Sunday, at the temple, 575 Shoreline Blvd.
Obon is a midsummer Buddhist holiday celebration dedicated to the feeling and expression of gratitude and joy toward ancestors, family, relatives and friends. During Obon, Buddhists visit cemeteries, conduct memorial services and enjoy family and friends.
The festival offers Japanese foods such as tempura, udon, sashimi, unagi, nori maki and age sushi, chirashi, chicken and beef teriyaki, ohagi, yaki manju; and American favorites strawberry shortcake, almond jello, corn, hamburgers, chicken salad, corn dogs, french fries, shaved ice, pastries and a variety of beverages including sake and beer. A special booth, called the sushi bar, will be selling nigiri sushi.
The Dharma School booths will have the duck pond, grab bag and shooting gallery for the children. There will also be game booths for adults, such as add ‘em up, animal pitch, basketball, bingo, goldfish, hoop-la, nickel pitch and tic-tac-toe.
In the YBA Hall, the cultural exhibits will display bonsai (miniature trees) by Sigekatsu Horiuchi; Ikebana Ikenobo (flower arranging) by Chizu Iwata and students; and suiseki (scenic rocks in natural form) by the Kashu Suiseki Kai, Jackson Kato, John Tashiro, Yoshi Okasaki, Kozie Sakai and Tosh Michihira.
Sunday, at 12:30 p.m., the Mountain View Buddhist Temple Taiko Group will be performing under the direction of Bobbie Arita. From 1 p.m., under the white tents, there will be children’s hands-on activities such as bonsai (miniature trees) demonstrated by Sigekatsu Horiuchi, origami (paper folding) by Tomomi Miyazaki and Yoko Miyazawa, shodo (calligraphy) and sumi-e (brush painting) by Ami Wada, and Hachimaki headband designing by Diane Nishiura.
At 7 p.m., Sunday, many colorful kimonos and hapi coats will be worn by participating community and temple members when they perform the traditional Bon Odori dance.
Marilyn Ozawa, head instructor for more than 30 years, professionally known as Sanjo Kanyoshi, will dance on stage with her assistants, Frances Sawamura, Donna Okamoto and Ester Bunya.
The Bon Odori, coordinated by Richard Fujikawa, will be danced in a large circle outdoors to recorded and live music by the Chidori Band and band leader, Shigeru Tashiro. Everyone is encouraged to join in.
A special raffle drawing will be held on Sunday at 9 p.m.
Festival admission is free and parking is on the temple grounds. For more information, call 964-9426.
