BonPOP, a reimagined Obon Odori Japantown event, welcomes a local, city-wide and regional audience to immerse themselves in the long-standing Japanese tradition of honoring ancestors through dance, song and rituals accessible to all regardless of religion, faith, ethnicity, and cultural beliefs. The festival features a vibrant blend of taiko drumming, live folk music, and Bon Odori dancing showcasing the rich heritage and talent of our local Japantown artists, and cultural practitioners.
A 500 year old ceremonial tradition, Obon is celebrated throughout Japan today. Residents travel to their family homes to honor their ancestors during Obon season. Originating from the Chinese Ghost Festival of Buddhist and Taoist nature, the Japan Obon Festival follows the idea that during the month of August, those in the living realm remember and remember and honor past ancestors. Family rituals may include visits to the local temple, the cleaning of ancestral graves, the lighting of fire and lanterns, and reunions with loved ones enjoying ceremonial foods and family traditions.
Photo Credit: Mark Shignaga
*Memorial Lanterns!*
We will be honoring past loved ones by hanging Memorial Tags from Lanterns above and around the Peace Plaza. If you would like to hang a tag in memory of a loved one that has passed on, please join us at the event!
Your donations will help us continue to bring our community together and make a difference in Japantown.
*Yukata Dressing Station*
Bring Friends and Family, come early and shop, and bring your own Yukata, Obi, and Accessories!
The dancer leaders will help you get dressed!
4:30 - 5:30p at the Japantown Visitor’s Center - East Mall 2nd Floor!
*Where Do I Get My Obon Festival Attire in SF Japantown?*
Traditional (Yukata, Happi Coat, Accessories, Implements):
Sakura Sakura, Asakichi Arts & Antiques, Kohshi Master of Scents, Sharaku, Paper Tree
Remix (Japan Fashion, Vintage, Cosplay, Anime):
Amiko Boutique, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, Chameleon Vintage, Fanloli, Katachi, OK Marketplace, Sou Sou
Directory: https://www.sfjapantown.org/
*Yukata Remix Contest!*
How will you ‘remix’ and fashion your formal festival wear for personal self expression? Awesome Prizes! Come Dressed to fall into one of these categories.
1. Best Under Age 12
2. Best Teen
3. Best Family Ensemble
4. Best Remix Using Only Traditional Attire
5. Best Fusion/Creative
6. Best Use of Accessories
*VOLUNTEER*
+ be huge help to in making this happen!
Song List:
Ei Ja Nai Ka • Giza Giza Hāto no Komori Uta • Hanagasa Ondo • Kawasaki Gujo • Obon no Uta
Shiawase Samba • Soran Bushi • Sukiyaki • Tanko Bushi
Dancers of San Francisco Buddhist Church
Obon Dance Instructors. Founded in 1898, the Buddhist Church of San Francisco was the first Jodo Shinshu (Pure Land) Buddhist temple established in the continental United States and is the flagship temple of the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA).
The temple began with a group of devout Issei (first generation) Shin Buddhists establishing the first Jodo Shin organization on the US mainland on July 30, 1898. On September 1, 1899, with the arrival of the first overseas ministers Rev. Dr. Rev. Shuye Sonoda and Rev. Kakuryo Nishima, Jodo Shinshu began to take root in American soil. Photo by Mark Shigenaga
GenRyu Arts
Founded as Gen Taiko in 1995 and incorporated as GenRyu Arts in August 2008, its mission is to promote, present and participate in Japanese and Japanese American culture through Taiko (Japanese Drumming) and other traditional and contemporary music and dance forms. GenRyu Arts is directed by its founder Melody Takata, a multi-faceted artist trained in Japanese Classical Dance, Taiko and Shamisen. Sensei Takata has been performing for over 20 years in Japan and U.S.A. Deeply rooted in San Francisco’s Japantown and in the Asian American Community, GenRyu Arts engages in art-making that merges Japanese cultural forms taiko, dance and folk songs with new music, spoken word and visual design into singular expressions that honor community heritage and address key issues stemming from the legacy of internment and redevelopment. Photo courtesy of GenRyu Arts
Ensohza
Formed in 2006, Ensohza is a minzoku-geino or Japanese folk performing ensemble based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With lively vocals accompanied by fue and shakuhachi (bamboo flutes), shamisen (a string instrument) and the beat of the taiko drum, Ensohza transports you to Japan’s mountain and fishing villages with traditional folk songs and festival dance music. Ensohza also promotes opportunities for community building through grant-funded training in folk dance and the traditional festival arts of Japan, performing music that evokes the festival spirit and character of Japan’s diverse rural communities. Photo courtesy of David Toshiyuki
Ito Yosokoi , SF Japantown
Obon Dance Instructors. ITO YOSAKOI (pronounced: yoh-sah-coy) is a yosakoi dance group based in San Francisco Japantown based in San Francisco Japantown. We practice weekly as a program of Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC). Our name “Ito” (糸 “Thread”) emphasizes the relationships woven together between members of a community.
Contact: itoyosakoi@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/itoyosakoi
Instagram: @itoyosakoi
Tickets for BonPOP are FREE…
but we are accepting sliding scale donations. Your donations will help us continue to bring our community together and make a difference in Japantown.
