

Obon Fest 2025
Obon Schedule
Outdoor Parking Lot
2:30-3:00pm Portland Sumo (wrestling)
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Portland Sumo is a group of sumo enthusiasts practicing the art of sumo in Portland, Oregon.
​https://www.instagram.com/portlandsumo/?hl=en
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3:30-4:00pm Tsubaki Buyo Do Kou Kai (dance)
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We are mostly former students of Sahomi Tachibana. She was an amazing dancer and teacher. Born in America, educated in Japan, and was incarcerated during WWII as a teenager. She passed away last October at the age of 100. She left us with a lifelong love of dance, a connection to Japanese culture, and so much more. Thank you so much Sahomi sensei. It is an honor to continue share her dance pieces, and hope to take over her legacy.
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4:30-5:00pm Obukan Kendo (bamboo sword)
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​With roots dating back to 1905, the Obukan Kendo Club is one of the older kendo clubs in America. It is also a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Located in Beaverton.
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5:15- 6:00pm Portland Taiko
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Since 1994, Portland Taiko has performed locally, toured North America, and beyond. Mission and History
Through innovation and excellence in taiko, Portland Taiko affirms Asian American pride, inspires audiences, builds community, and educates about our heritage and culture.
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Outdoor Garden
2-5:30pm Children's Corner (games and activities )
2- 6pm Teen Scene
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Indoor Events
Downstairs
2-7pm Merchandise Sales
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Upstairs Hondo
2:15pm "Buddhist Poetry in Heian Japan" by Mike Freiling
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Mike’s interest in the connections between different cultures and their philosophies began during his year as a Luce Scholar (1977-1978) at Kyoto University, when he first learned the meaning of the shimenawa and translated the Heian Period poems of the Hyaku Nin Isshu into English. In 2020, he founded Shimenawa no Michi to leverage his experience as an investment advisor into a broader initiative to help people navigate the challenges of life, love, and the search for transcendence.
Mike will be reading Poems in both English and Japanese during this session.
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3:00-3:30pm Book Review by Lynn Geis for her book Jump to Japan
Lynn was working at Portland Community College in the early 90’s when she learned of an opportunity to establish an exchange program with Nagasaki Wesleyan Junior College, a small two-year school in Isahaya, a small town near Nagasaki Japan. In 1993, she went to NWJC as a guest teacher. A year that changed her life! She had been studying Japanese for a couple of years, and she was able to take some of the classes at NWJC.
After that year’s rich experience, Lynn established a tour business and took small groups to Japan once or twice a year for ten years.
Jim Hill, publisher of Yuuyake Shimbun, convinced Lynn to write an article for him. In August 2000 she submitted her first article. It was about Tanuki, the popular critter that is real but has mythical traits attributed to him. In August 2023 after submitting monthly articles for 23 years, Lynn decided to take a break and work on publishing a collection of some of the articles. The result is Jump to Japan, a collection of 63 articles and over 70 color photos, some never before published.
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​4:00-4:30pm Temple Talk (Ministers Assistant Ken Garner)
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5:00-5:30pm Temple Talk (Reverend Ron Kobata)
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6:00-6:30pm Bon Odori Servie (Ministers Assistant Brenda Fugate)
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6:30pm Bon Odori Dancers prepare for Dance Procession
7:00pm Dance Procession to Outside Dance Circle
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