About Obon

Japanese religion is complex. It’s an amalgamation of Buddhism and Confucianism, its native religion group of Shinto, and Christianity. Obon is a time of the year in Japan that is fairly important, spiritually. It’s a holiday that’s part Buddhist, and wholly Japanese. It’s been practiced in Japan for nearly half a millennium, and is a time of year in which people remember their ancestors. In many ways, there’s a lot in common between Obon and The Day of The Dead. I honestly love both of these holidays, whether I actually believe the spiritual aspect or not. It’s a time of remembrance and community, and it contrasts the modern view of death, in which people shy away from interacting with the dead. In many ways, modern people have become too separated from death.

Kingston Bon Odori and Yamamoto Youko

Every Year, Yamamoto Youko (or Youko Yamamoto if you prefer given name first), a Kingston resident, has a wonderful Bon Odori planned. Bon odori is a traditional dance festival to celebrate Obon. Youko is well known in the New Paltz-Kingston area, for Gomen Kudasai, an amazing Japanese restaurant that operated in New Paltz for a decade. Unfortunately she had to close the noodle shop, but she is continuing to run the festival, and is hoping to open a ramen shop in Kingston in the near future.

Image from bonodori.org

Youko is very focused on health and community. She has the kind of personality that draws people in and makes them comfortable when talking to her. She and Jamal Battle of Battle Entertainment, who recently put on the first annual Hudson Valley Music Festival #hugsomeonedammit, have a lot in common, personality wise. It would actually be rather interesting to get them together, though you probably wouldn’t be able to get a word in edge-wise if you did!

This year, the festival will take place on Saturday, August 3rd, at Kingston Point Beach. It’ll run from 12pm — 8pm. The event is open to the public and there’s no admission fee. There will be food vendors, local artists, martial arts demonstrations, and more. There’s a lot of really interesting things to do at the event.

Personal Thoughts

I don’t go to the event quite as much as I used to. For one thing, Kingston is slightly less accessible than New Paltz, though I understand the move. I like the event itself, and Youko is an amazing person. However, there are a few things that just don’t sit right with me, and that’s just my personal view. My main issue is that I really do wish that the festival focused more on Obon and less on the political activism.

I understand that a lot of people have an issue with nuclear, and I’m wholly opposed to nuclear weapons. But I do support nuclear power. Nuclear power is one of the best options we have. It’s actually rather clean, and contrary to popular belief, it is quite safe. It appears unsafe because when something goes wrong, it’s fairly catastrophic. Unfortunately just like a fear of flying, it’s easier to latch onto the catastrophic instances rather than the big picture. I also love the concept of Obon, and think that, whether a person is religious or not, they can take something from the custom.

However, Youko is such an amazing person, and she puts on such amazing events, that it doesn’t really matter. The event is fun. There’s lots of great music and food, and definitely a real sense of community. It’s worth going if you’re anywhere near the area, and it does support the local community. You can learn more about the event on their website, https://www.bonodori.org/, or visit their Facebook page.

Originally published in the Hudson Valley Living Publication on Medium. Featured image details: Participants place candle-lit lanterns in the Sasebo River during Obon (Wikipedia)