Zenshuji Obon Carnival Festival 2026 — Little Tokyo

“Little Tokyo in July. Taiko drums at dusk. A circle…”

The ancestors get the dance first.

Obon is a Buddhist festival of the dead — a few days each summer when the spirits return and the living make noise to welcome them back. In Little Tokyo, that noise comes from the Zenshuji Soto Mission's Obon Carnival: a two-day outdoor festival on July 25 and 26, 2026 at 123 South Hewitt Street, a few blocks from the Japanese Village Plaza.

The centerpiece is the Obon odori, a circle dance performed around a central yagura tower with taiko drums driving the beat. Anyone can join — no experience required, no special costume needed. Families come who have been dancing the same steps for three generations. First-timers show up and learn on the spot. That is the point.

There are also carnival games, food stalls, and the particular atmosphere of Little Tokyo in summer — warm evenings, paper lanterns, the smell of grilled corn and teriyaki threading through the air. The mission runs one of the most beloved Obon festivals in Southern California, drawing the Japanese-American community from across the region.

Free admission. Open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 7:00 PM. July 25–26, 2026 at 123 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.