Photo courtesy of Margaret Abe
Head teacher Marilyn Ozawa, whose professional name is Sanjo Kanyoshi, will be dancing in the Bon Odori at the Obon Festival in Mountain View.
The 46th annual Obon Festival will be held from 4-10 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple, 575 Shoreline Blvd.
Family, friends and the community are invited to gather together to celebrate Obon, a midsummer Buddhist holiday dedicated to feeling joy and gratitude for the gifts of life, heritage and all good things believers have taken for granted or forgotten.
Organizers said Obon is a time to share memories of ancestors. Obon is also called Kangi-e or the season of gathering joy.
The weekend celebration will include Japanese and Western foods, cultural exhibits, a flower shop, bookstore, bingo, games for children and adults, Japanese dancing, music and raffle prizes.
Food ranges from sushi, tempura and teriyaki to corn dogs, hamburgers and ice cream.
Masae Okuno of Los Altos, among the 61 Los Altos and Los Altos Hills members of the temple, said some of the Japanese food can take as long as a week to prepare for the festival.
In addition to preparing sushi, Okuno makes manju, a sweet item made with lima beans and cookie dough.
She noted unagi, a barbecued eel dish, is a favorite among festival goers.
"You get the eel in a great big bowl, with rice, and you can't eat much more," said Okuno, who has worked at Obon festivals since the 1960s.
This year's festival is co-chaired by Larry Matsumoto and Richard Miyashiro.
In addition to the celebration, the Buddhists observing Obon also visit the cemetery and conduct memorial services. A Kangi-e service and a Hatsubon "first memorial" service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday at the temple for those observing the first anniversary of a death.
At 7 p.m. Sunday, the Bon Odori dancing will be lead by instructor Marilyn Ozawa, who has been teaching dances at the temple for 28 years. Gratitude for the goodness of life is the source for dancing during Obon. This year's last dance is dedicated to the late Rev. Russell Hamada.
The Obon Festival and Bazaar is attended each year by thousands of people. The festival is open to the public and both admission and parking on temple grounds are free.
For more information, call the Mountain View Buddhist Temple at 964-9426.