Humboldt community celebrates Japanese culture with Obon Festival 

The Humboldt Asians & Pacific Islanders In Solidarity (HAPI) hosted the 4th annual Obon Festival in the Creamery Arts District, in Arcata on August 17. With traditional Japanese performances and spiritual traditions, the festival celebrated Japanese culture. Obon is a Buddhist Japanese custom to honor the spirits of one’s ancestors. In Japan it’s a time of family reunion, when people return to their ancestral home, clean their ancestor’s graves and pay their respect. 

The Humboldt Obon Festival was created in 2020 after San Jose Taiko, a drumming group, and Cal Poly Humboldt Jazz Orchestra sold out three immersive performances titled “Swingposium On The Road”, which attracted a larger Asian audience than expected. 

“A lot of people came out, a lot of Asians came out, and we were like whoa, did we have so many Asians in this community,” said Marilyn Paik-Nicely, co-founder of HAPI. “After it was done so many people said, ‘lets have Obon!’, and then the pandemic hit so we had to put Obon on hold. When we finally did it here at the creamery district it was very joyous and wonderful and a lot of people really appreciate that we do this and it brings our community together.”

Since its creation, Obon Humboldt has evolved into an event that attracts a diverse community who can participate in Obon traditions, such as writing a note to an ancestor and putting it on the ancestor tree, or visiting a traditional Japanese altar. The streets are filled with Asian food and local art vendors, entertainment for children, booths that feature local community organizations and performances from Humboldt Taiko and others. 

“I remember the first year that we had Obon here we thought maybe 400 people would come to our event and we put out notice of it and invited a couple of vendors and were surprised when thousands showed up,” said Alex Ozaki-Mcneill, another co-founder of HAPI. “There’s roots in tradition for Obon but it’s very much Humboldt’s version of it. The dance, the drumming is all very traditional components, but having the local artists and some of the things that make it a little more Humboldt make it a fun community gathering.” 

Rinban Sakamoto, a visiting Buddhist Priest from the San Jose Buddhist Church who introduced the opening of the festival, highlighted the impact of appreciating tradition in our daily lives.

“Recognizing the deep connection we share with the lives around us, and expressing our appreciation for them, the connection makes each of us to be able to do the things we are able to do,” Sakamoto said. 

The spirit of inclusivity is uplifted by attendees who are encouraged to wear any clothing representative of Japanese culture and to participate in Bon Dancing (Bon Odori), a traditional Japanese Obon festival folk dancing, led by Sensei Craig Kurumada and the Arcata Ondo Band. 

“With inclusion, with diversity, we are much healthier, happier people. The breadth of that is so important”, said Pat Girczyc, local resident and volunteer with HAPI. “I think even the university is a big piece too, people from the university either teach or come as students from other places, they need to go to a place where they can relax and feel comfortable, and if you’re in a community where you’re in the minority it’s not easy to do, so it’s really important to have this.” 

For more information about HAPI, Humboldt Obon, past events and future events, visit their website: www.hapihumboldt.org.