On Saturday, July 12, 2025, the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple will be hosting its annual Obon festival, which is meant to create a space to honor and remember one’s ancestors.
Trey Imamura, a board member of the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple and chair of the festival, said the Obon festival originates from Japan, where it’s typically a week-long celebration in August. He said the Buddhist tradition is to commemorate those who have passed, as in the original belief, their spirits are thought to visit during the week of Obon.
“This is a joyous and happy time for us to remember all those who have passed on before us . It’s not a time to be sad that they’re no longer with us. It’s a time for us to be happy that we knew them and got to have them in our lives,” he said.
This year’s Obon Festival will mark the 89th year the Festival will be held in Salt Lake. Temple President Troy Watanabe said, “We are very proud to be a part of the community in celebrating this important event. Having our celebration in historic Japantown is very important to us. This is where our parents and grandparents held the festival. And we want to carry on that tradition to honor them and the sacrifices they made.”
Although Watanabe said the festival is a lot of work, he said it’s a privilege to help put it on and see how it brings the community together.
The festival schedule:
- Saturday, July 12, 2025
- Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, 211 W Japantown St (100 S)
- Free admission
- 3pm Temple tours begin
- 3pm Food service begins ($5 to $10)
- Lumbini’s Garden store will be open at 3:00 pm. This store is a dry goods store for Japanese items, novelties, and books.
- 7pm Taiko drum performance
- 8pm Traditional Japanese street dancing in colorful kimonos and happi coats begins
For two weeks, dancers have been practicing every night to present around 13 to 15 traditional Japanese dances, including “Bon Odori,” a classic folk dance to welcome the spirits of those who have passed.
Tracy Akimoto, one of the performers and dance instructors, said they teach anyone who wants to come in and join.
Her grandfather, Rev. Shintatsu Sanada, was a minister at the current Salt Lake Buddhist Temple when it was built in the 1960s. She said she grew up with Obon, and it’s something she, her husband, and her sons continue to celebrate together. She added that during Obon, many of her family from out of state will visit to join in on the festival.
At Obon, Akimoto said she takes time to remember her loved ones who have passed, including her grandparents, father, and her son who passed away when he was one month old.
“It means so much to me because of my infant son. I feel closer to him while dancing at Obon. It’s kind of painful, but at the same time it’s a happy occasion,” she said.
Akimoto said anyone, no matter the age or experience, can get involved and dance in the Obon Festival. “People that haven’t experienced it come in, join us, and they really enjoy it. It’s for everybody, any age, any religion, any ethnicity. It’s just a really fun night,” she said.
