OBON FESTIVAL MAKES LIVELY APPEARANCE WITH FOOD AND FUN.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer PACOIMA - It took a sharp cry and raucous beating of Taiko
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. . But for many, the 50th Annual Obon Festival in Pacoima began hours earlier with the cries of ``top this'' from chefs offering their special dishes. ``Come here, this is the best in the place,'' yelled Kevin Diez, 19, of Thousand Oaks, whose dozen State ``A'' baseball players hawked yakisoba, a noodle-and-cabbage stir fry with one ``secret ingredient.'' ``This is the best 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, around,'' countered Pauline Okutake of Van Nuys, whose West Valley United Methodist Church United Methodist Church, in the United States, religious body formed by the union in 1968 of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church (see Methodism). members tossed her sumptuous recipe. ``The secret,'' she said, ``a lot of love, a lot of tender care, a lot of work, a lot of mixing of spirits.'' Celebrating the return of ancestral spirits underlies the ancient Obon observance, celebrated in July and August by Buddhists throughout the world. The Obon Festival this weekend at the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple at the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center on Branford Street is open to the public and continues today between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. ``This is to honor and respect our beloved ancestors,'' said Ruby Ogawa, 43, of Westminster. ``It shows me my connection to my roots in Japan ... it's what holds us together.'' Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters and friends savored traditional Japanese dancing, drumming, tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, bonsai bonsai (bōn`sī), art of cultivating dwarf trees. Bonsai, developed by the Japanese more than a thousand years ago, is derived from the Chinese practice of growing miniature plants. miniatures, handmade Japanese dolls, kimonos, games and Japanese fare - from Kirin beer to 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. to sushi. And Spamosubi - a sushi roll made from Spam - returned after a yearlong absence. ``Ahhh,'' said one woman eyeing the World War II-vintage dish. ``They have Spam this year ... a lot of people wanted it, so we're glad it's back.'' Frank Inoshita, 69, of North Hollywood, admired his 3-foot Brazilian pepper tree Brazilian pepper tree n. An evergreen Brazilian tree (Schinus terebinthifolius) having aromatic foliage and clusters of red, berrylike fruits used for Christmas decorations. , one of dozens of juniper, cedar, pine and other deciduous deciduous /de·cid·u·ous/ (de-sid´u-us) falling off or shed at maturity, as the teeth of the first dentition. de·cid·u·ous adj. 1. miniatures cultivated over decades of careful pruning. ``When I started with this 25 years ago, it was just a finger size,'' he said, holding up a pinky. His secret: ``Constant attention.'' Richard Kunisa, director of the Obon Festival, invited all to participate in the unique celebration of life. ``You don't have to be Japanese-American, or Buddhist, to come to the carnival - it's a whole community event, to have a good time.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Taiko drums are set up for an evening performance Saturday at the Obon Festival in Pacoima. The event continues today. (2) This Lion Dance doll is among the many dolls on display at the festival, which spotlights Japanese arts and culture. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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