07/05/2026
đź“ŁFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSđź“Ł
We hope you had a great 4th of July! Check out some San Jose Obon FAQs! See you this weekend!
1] Will the 2026 Obon be the same as in year's past?
Almost but not quite. Our Temple is undergoing major construction which takes away an entire area of land that we typically use. With cooperation from the city of San Jose and the Japantown Business Association, we are moving many of our booths to other areas of Japantown. Full site maps will be posted at the festival!
This year we will NOT have:
- Check cashing booth
- Donor Match booth
- Games diaper changing station
- Games Soda booth
- Yaki Manju + Mushi Manju
- 6th Street changing area for Obon Odori dancing.
2] Where can I find some of the Odori (Japanese dance) practice videos online?
You can find a link here from 2025, https://www.youtube.com/playlist... (thank you to Mr. Mas Nishimura for compiling). All but one dance are the same. We brought back “Hanabi Ondo” which can also be found online here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8l9rLks4Dg
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the materials used in our dancing, you can visit Nichi Bei Bussan, Kogura Company or Nikaku Animart.
3] Is the parking/shuttle situation going to be the same as in the past?
Yes. We will have parking at the public lot on First Street and Hedding Street. We will have simultaneous shuttles running from 11am-10:30pm on Saturday and 11am-9:30pm on Sunday. Please plan accordingly in case we get slightly backed up. There will be security rotating through the the lot during hours of operation. We also have our regular street parking and we ask that you be respectful of our neighbors, if you decide to park there. Pick up at the parking lot will be clearly marked. Pick up at the festival will be at the intersection of 5th street and Taylor street - near Happi House restaurant.
4] Can I bring my dog?
If you must bring your pet, we kindly ask that all dogs be on a leash and able to handle crowds/children etc. Aside from assistance animals, we ask that you not bring your dog into the food court or on our shuttle bus service. Thank you for your understanding. As always, please clean up after your pets.
5] Where can I get dressing assistance for the dancing?
Unfortunately, we will not have our usual designated changing area located at 639 6th street. This is due to construction storage in that building. Here are other options you may use:
1/ Sign up for a changing appointment at the SJ Buddhist Temple by emailing [email protected]
2/ Email/visit Nichi Bei Busan (140 Jackson Street) for scheduled or drop in changing space. They can be reached at [email protected].
$20 for Yukata dress help and $30 for full Kimono dress help
Appointments at NB are from 1pm-5pm on Sat and 12pm-4pm on Sun.
Walk-ins available from 5pm-6pm on Sat and 4pm-5pm on Sun.
3/ We also invite you to come and dance as you are! Street clothes are ok!
4/ Here are some additional resources:
How to put on a Yukata 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch8eWVvwoFk
How to put on a Yukata 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR1t3h2B0YQ
6] I am not able to make it to Obon but I don't want to miss out.
Unfortunately, due to the Dharma Center construction, we are no longer able to set up the wireless and wired connections or the studio space necessary to livestream the Obon Festival. Instead we will be recording events and posting videos to YouTube on the days following the Festival. In addition, we will premier a "In Memoriam" video on YouTube recognizing the Betsuin members that we have lost in the past year. We look forward to seeing you on our YouTube channel!
7] I would love to volunteer. Are there still spots?
Yes. We have a few shifts that still need help. Visit this link here: https://signup.com/go/XARPuKZ. If there are other questions, please email [email protected]
Huge thanks to the many people who have already signed up.
8] Will there be bike parking?
Unfortunately, as of right now, we will not have the bike parking areas that we've had in the past. Please be prepared to securely lock up your bike and know that there have been several bike theft issues this year. If this changes, we will update this answer.
9] I want to order Obon merch, where can I find merchandise?
All items will be sold at the festival. As other items become available elsewhere, we will update this answer.
10] What food items will be available?
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Beef Teriyaki Skewers
- Ramen
- Tempura
- Gyoza
- Assorted Sushi
- Cabbage Chicken Salad
- Corn on the Cob
- Imagawa Yaki (pancake with red bean)
- Chichi Dango (New for 2026!)
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Water/Soda/Beer/Sake/Smoothies
11] Can vendors sign up to have a booth at this festival?
This is a temple fundraiser so all of our booths are managed by our different organizations, the Buddhist Churches of America, or were requested due to a specific circumstance. We invite to check out one of the other Japantown festivals, Nikkei Matsuri who does accept applications for vendors. https://nikkeimatsuri.org/
NOTE: Direct Messages to this account will not be checked on a regular basis.
Thank you for reading! We will continue to update this post as the event gets closer. Hope to see you at Obon!
