Every July here in Eugene the Japanese American Association of Lane County, the City of Eugene, and the Asian American Foundation of Oregon sponsor the Obon & Taiko Festival. Each year the event is held in the early evening in Alton Baker Park, a 373 acre park that is located next to the Willamette River.
Obon, or Bon, is the Buddhist custom of honoring the spirits of one's ancestors. The Bon Odori, or dances, that are performed during Obon are a way of remembering and appreciating their sacrifices. Dances are performed by members of the Japanese American Association and the public is invited to join in the fun.
Taiko, or Japanese drumming, is performed by Eugene Taiko. The ensemble plays modern interpretations of traditional pieces as well as their own compositions. Taiko drumming is thunderous, dynamic and energetic. It is rooted in warfare but in the present-day it is enjoyed at festivals and cultural events.
The formal dances proceed either clockwise or counter-clockwise around a yagura, or high wooden platform, and are performed in unison to recorded traditional Japanese folksongs that are played through a PA system.
For over twenty years now, attending Obon has been our family tradition, with each year being a variation of family members and friends coming along for the fun. This year our daughter Audrey accompanied James and I.
On this carefree summer evening we enjoyed catching up on family news while watching the dancing and drumming and ate delicious Japanese cuisine from local food vendor Masa's Yatai.
As the festival wound down and darkness began to descend, we packed up our things and felt grateful for good times and happy family memories of another year spent at Obon.
Thanks for looking!
Lovely to see you and some of your family �� and to hear about this summer tradition
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