SAN JOSE — San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin will hold its annual Obon Festival on Saturday, July 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, July 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The event includes food, games, performances by taiko groups from Northern and Southern California, an introduction to Buddhism, and Bon Odori. In recent years, more than a thousand dancers have participated. The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, July 12
11:30 a.m.: Temple opens; Buddhism 101
12 p.m.: Food booths open
12:30 p.m. UC San Diego Taiko
1 p.m.: Games open; bookstore opens; meet Marissa Moss, author of “Barbed-Wire Baseball”
2 p.m.: Buddhism 101
3 p.m.: UC Irvine Taiko
3:30 p.m.: Buddhism 101
4:30 p.m.: San Jose Taiko
5:30 p.m.: Temple closes
6:30 p.m.: Chidori Band
7:30 p.m.: Odori starts
Sunday, July 13
11:30 a.m.: Temple opens; Buddhism 101
12 p.m.: Food booths open
12:30 p.m.: UC Berkeley Taiko
1 p.m.: Games open; bookstore opens
1:30 p.m.: UC Davis Taiko
2 p.m.: Buddhism 101
3:30 p.m.: San Jose Taiko
4 p.m.: Temple closes
5 p.m.: Chidori Band
6 p.m.: Odori starts
8 p.m.: Raffle
The temple is located at 640 N. 5th St. between Jackson and Taylor streets, four blocks east of the Japantown/Ayer Light Rail Station. For more information, including a video on how to dress in yukata, go to www.sjbetsuin.com. For pedicab service, call (408) 771-7723.