'WE ENJOY LIFE' JAPANESE BUDDHISTS CELEBRATE ANCESTORS.Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer PACOIMA - Nine-month-old Emerson Sonoda got his first exposure Saturday to the Obon Festival. His eyes wide, a smile across his face, the youngster was in for a treat: Japanese folk dancing, taiko
``It's good for him to celebrate the culture,'' said mother Erin Lavelle. ``This is a first step. Someday, we plan on taking him to Japan.'' The summertime Buddhist observance is a time to honor ancestors and pay tribute to those who have passed on. It is one of the most celebrated of traditions to Japanese Buddhists. ``It's an opportunity to remember our loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl and those who have gone before us,'' said the Rev. Patricia Usuki of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. ``We pay tribute to what they've done to affect our lives. ``We remember to be grateful. We're all interconnected.'' The two-day event, one of the biggest in the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. region, continues today at the San Fernando Valley Japanese-American Community Center, 12953 Branford St., Pacoima. More than 2,000 people were expected to attend over the weekend, said Amy Tani, Obon chairperson. Festivalgoers took part in traditional dances, ate teriyaki ter·i·ya·ki n. A Japanese dish of grilled or broiled slices of marinated meat or shellfish. [Japanese : teri, glaze + yaki, to broil.] Noun 1. and Chinese chicken salad Chinese chicken salad, as its name suggests, is a salad with chicken, popular in the United States. The Asian influence comes from common Asian-themed ingredients. Though many variations exist, common features of most salads described as "Chinese chicken" contain lettuce, chicken, , and tried to keep cool with beer, cold sodas and snow cones. The tradition is as much a social gathering as it is a cultural and spiritual ritual. ``It's something we do every year,'' said Cindy Ogawa of West Hills. ``It's a time to see old friends and get together. For my children, they get to see the side of their culture they don't get to see as often.'' Most importantly, it was a celebration of life, commemorated by Buddhists throughout the world. ``It's just memorializing those who've passed on and showing gratitude,'' said Tani. ``Because of them, we enjoy life.'' Angie Valencia-Martinez, (805) 583-7604 angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Gail Nishimura, 8, of Irvine is shaded by her Japanese umbrella, above, at the Obon Festival in Pacoima on Saturday. At left, Andrew Wei, 4, of Calabasas hooks a fish and wins a prize. Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News |
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