San Jose Obon Festival: Japantown's Biggest Weekend
San Jose's Obon Festival closes 5th Street in Japantown for a weekend in July: food booths, game stalls, taiko, and an evening bon odori circle anyone can join. Free to walk in, pay booth by booth. In 2026 it runs Saturday July 11, noon–10pm, and Sunday July 12, noon–9pm.
Season: Mid-July · Updated October 21, 2026 · refreshed weekly
- Official site: sjbetsuin.org
- 2026 dates: Sat July 11, noon–10pm; Sun July 12, noon–9pm
- Where: 5th St between Taylor and Empire, San Jose Japantown (640 N. 5th St)
- Cost: No gate and no ticket — pay per food item and game
- Parking: Free county lot at N. 1st St and Hedding, with a shuttle
Bon odori: the dance the festival is built around
Everything points toward the evening bon odori, when the street fills with concentric circles of dancers moving through about 13 songs. Joining in is the point, not a bonus.
- Steps repeat — most kids have them by the second verse
- Dancers in full yukata carry the beginners around the ring
- The church posts the year's song list with practice videos beforehand
- No experience, no yukata and no sign-up needed
Food, games and the museum
The food booths are the festival's other main event, run by church volunteers. Games and the neighborhood museum fill the daylight hours around them.
The food booths
Church volunteers cooking the whole menu; the half of the crowd that is not dancing is queuing here.
Know before you go
- Lines peak 5–7pm — eat at opening or mid-afternoon with young kids
Who it's for
Anyone arriving hungry — the booths are why plenty of people come
Skip if
You need a table — this is hand-held food eaten standing up
Game booths
Carnival-style stalls and a bingo tent, clustered a block off the dancing.
Tickets
Tickets come out of machines that take credit cards — no cash hunt
Who it's for
Kids old enough to want a prize to carry home
San Jose Taiko
The drums you feel in your chest, on the corner stage.
Dates
- Saturday at 4:30pm
Who it's for
Everyone — it is the one set worth timing your arrival around
Skip if
Your kid is noise-sensitive; you feel these drums in your chest
Japanese American Museum of San Jose
A Japantown history museum inside the festival footprint, and a real break from the street.
Dates
- Open noon–5pm
Tickets
Free during the festival
Who it's for
Kids old enough for its Japantown history exhibits
Skip if
Toddlers who will not last an exhibit room
Getting there and surviving July heat
Skip circling Japantown's small blocks — the shuttle from the county lot beats the hunt for a space. Mid-July sun sits on the asphalt until early evening.
- Hats, sunscreen and water bottles are non-negotiable before sundown
- Best rhythm with little kids: arrive late afternoon, eat, stay for the dancing
- Strollers roll fine on the closed streets, but get tight in the dinner-hour crush
No dated listings yet.
Exact dates land here automatically once they hit our catalog — we refresh weekly from 550+ Bay Area sources. Check the official site above, or sign in for picks tuned to your family.
Would you like a personalized local event newsletter?
Tell us what you like, and get a free weekly email of hand-picked local events from 550+ Bay Area venues:
Festivals · Kids' classes · Craft workshops · Live music
- Personalized event feed based on your interests, city, and age groups.
- Weekly event picks delivered to your email inbox.
- Search and filter the full event catalog.
How it works
Create your free profile
About a minute. No payment required.
Tune your picks
Choose ages, interests, and nearby cities.
Get your weekly shortlist
Fifteen event picks for you.
Explore the full list
Browse the complete local catalog anytime.
FAQ
What is Obon?
A Buddhist observance honoring ancestors. San Jose's version, hosted by the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, wraps that around a street festival whose center is the bon odori circle danced as evening falls.
Do the food booths stay open until closing?
No. The booths wind down before the evening dancing ends, so eat before you settle in to watch.
How far is the shuttle lot from Japantown?
About a 20-minute walk, or a few minutes on the free shuttle. Street parking near 5th and Jackson is scarce with the road closures, so the lot is the easier call.