Japanese Obon Festival

Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors. It is believed that each year during Obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives. It is a major holiday in Japan.

The annual Obon Festival was held on Sunday July 17, 2022 at the Cleveland Buddhist Temple.

The Sho-Jo-Ji Japanese dancers showed the audience how to perform many different traditional Japanese dances and the audience danced along with them.

The Yume Daiko taiko drummers also performed. 

See photos and videos of the Obon Festival

Honor the Moon dance by Sho Jo Ji Japanese Dancers

The Sho Jo Ji Japanese Dancers performed a dance honoring the moon at the 7th annual Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration put on by the International Community Council Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) in Cleveland at the Global Center for Health Innovation.

Japanese in Cleveland

Royal procession dance by Sho Jo Ji Japanese Dancers

The Sho Jo Ji Japanese Dancers performed a dance telling the story of royal lords and ladies processing into Edo which later was renamed as Tokyo.  They performed at the 7th annual Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration put on by the International Community Council Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) in Cleveland at the Global Center for Health Innovation.

Japanese in Cleveland

Sakura (Cherry Blossom) dance by Sho Jo Ji Japanese Dancers

Sakura (Cherry Blossom) dance by Sho Jo Ji Japanese Dancers at the 7th annual Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration put on by the International Community Council Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) in Cleveland at the Global Center for Health Innovation. This is the 60th anniversary of Sho-Jo-Ji which was founded in 1956.

Japanese in Cleveland

Sho-Jo-Ji Japanese Dancers

The Sho-Jo-Ji Japanese Dancers performance at the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration at Asia Plaza was very popular with the audience.