Join us on the weekend of July 12 & 13 for our Bon Odori, Obon/Hatsubon Service, and cemetery services.  Below are the events scheduled for Obon weekend and the days leading up to it:

Obon Cemetery Services - Saturday, July 12, 2025

• Odd Fellows Cemetery (Riverside Blvd.) – 9:00 am

• Sacramento Memorial Lawn (Stockton Blvd.) – 10:00 am

• East Lawn (Folsom Blvd.) – 11:00 am

• Nokotsudo Service (service held in the Hondo, with Nokotsudo visitation following) – 12:00 pm

Bon Odori - Saturday, July 12, 2025

Location: Church parking lot and courtyard

Time: 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. (also live streamed on Facebook and YouTube).

Attention all odori enthusiasts, ministers, and dancers: let's gather in the Main Hondo by 7:15 p.m. for the traditional walk-out and procession with the first dance starting at 7:30! Skip cooking dinner at home and arrive early to savor some delectable food and beverages before the bon odori festivities commence.

What's on the agenda:

• Immerse yourself in the touching Obon Memorial Tribute video, broadcasted on monitors and live-streamed throughout the Odori. To submit a tribute, please see below.

• Indulge your taste buds at our Food Concessions, featuring favorites like teriyaki beef sandwiches, Gunther’s Freezes, and a delightful variety of other culinary delights, starting at 5:00 p.m.

• Explore the Obon Store for exclusive offerings including the Buddhist Church of Sacramento Tenugui (towels), new/gently used Obon apparel and dance gear, and last year’s 125th Anniversary merchandise for a reduced price. The store opens at 5:00 p.m. on the day of Bon Odori.

• Cool off in the warm evening and refresh yourself with a cold beverage from our Onibi Beer selection, available from 5:00 p.m. until supplies last.

• Folding chairs can be brought into the parking lot on Friday, July 11, from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Gate will open at 6 p.m. sharp (the lines for the dancers need to be painted)

• If you plan to come earlier than 6 p.m. to wait in line, please bring water, wear a hat/sunglasses and sunscreen. There is room for everyone on Saturday evening, so please be neighborly and leave in place the chairs that are set up before you arrive with your own. Be sure to label your chairs – using a safety pin to attach a sign with your name works great!

Folding Chairs Set Up

Obon/Hatsubon Service – Sunday, July 13, 2025

• Hatsubon is the first Obon Service observed after a loved one has passed. A combined Obon/Hatsubon service will be held in the Main Hondo at 9:30 a.m.

• As part of the Hatsubon observance, the names of those we have recently lost will be called individually; at that time, family and friends are welcome to come forward to oshoko and offer incense

• Those whose funeral service was conducted by our minister(s) are already included on our Hatsubon list. If you would like to add a family member’s or friend’s name to be read, please contact the Betsuin Office (betsuinoffice@gmail.com or 916-446-0121) no later than Thursday, July 10. We look forward to seeing you at this most meaningful service.

• The Obon/Hatsubon Service will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube

For this year’s Obon, we are again offering the opportunity to honor and remember any loved one who has passed with a photo or name tribute during our Obon Dance on Saturday, July 12, 2025. Each submitted photo or name will be displayed periodically in alphabetical order on monitors in the Courtyard and parking lot, as well as our livestreamed broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.

For applications and instructions for submitting a photo or name, please use the this form.

The deadline for submitting applications and photos is Sunday, July 6, 2025. We look forward to seeing you on Obon weekend!

Obon Tribute

Bon Odori Practice Schedule

Need a refresher on our bon odori dances? Join us for practice in the evenings leading up to Bon Odori night.

• Tuesday, July 1, 2025 – 7 - 8 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 2, 2025 – 7 -8 p.m.

• Tuesday, July 8, 2025 – 7 - 8 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 9, 2025 – 7 - 8 p.m.

• Thursday, July 10, 2025 – 7 - 8:15 p.m.

Food Concessions and Obon Store on Practice Nights

• Food will be sold by our scouting organizations at each Obon practice from 6 p.m.  Come for dinner before practice starts! There will be daily specials at each practice. Check out the daily menu.

• Pre-order Beef Teriyaki Sandwiches for Bon Odori night. Deadline to submit your order is July 7.

• The Obon Store will offer new Buddhist Church of Sacramento Tenugui (towels), new/gently used Obon apparel and dance gear, and last year’s 125th Anniversary merchandise for a reduced price. The store opens at 6:00 p.m. on practice nights.  

Obon Playlist on YouTube

Can’t make Bon Odori practice? Need a refresher on how to dress yourself in your yukata and obi? Check out the Buddhist Church of Sacramento Obon Playlist on our YouTube channel. And don’t forget, if you need a yukata, obi and ties, visit our Obon Store on practice evenings and on the day of our Bon Odori on July 12.

The festival has been held since the 7th century although many of the events have changed and it is one of the most significant and enjoyable of the Japanese festivals. It goes by a variety of names, the most popular of which is “The Festival or Feast of the Dead”. While it is not a public holiday, many Japanese who work in the city visit their birthplace at this time every year to clean the gravesites of their ancestors. Others clean Buddhist altars in their home although fewer people have these. Many years ago, Obon and the holiday on January 15th were the only days servants and workers were released to return to their homes.

Vegetables, fruits and rice wine are left out for the spirits to eat. Flowers decorate the graves or altar and incense is burned. This is the time for the living to show their respect to their ancestors. But it is not just the spirits who are given food and drink!

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