To make another queer centered festival possible this summer of 2024, please visit our donation page here and note “Okaeri” during check out. Thank you for attending and we hope to see you again soon!
Photography by Willa Cutolo
Queer O-bon: Saturday, June 17th 5:00-9:00PM
Okaeri’s inaugural Queer O-bon is a community festival that gathers our Nikkei LGBTQ+ community to remember our queer ancestors through ceremony and dance! O-bon is rooted in a Buddhist sutra about a monk who sought to free his mother from the realm of suffering. Around 1,400 years ago, this sutra inspired Buddhist monks in medieval Japan to start a new ritual tradition. The tradition transformed across time and continents into a Nikkei summer gathering to honor and reflect on our lost loved ones and our joyful, diverse communities.
Okaeri continues this tradition with an inclusive festival of queer joy, remembrance, and belonging. Please join us for Okaeri’s Queer O-bon festival.
The event is free, open to all LGBTQ+ communities and friends, and will include: O-bon memorial service, Bon odori circle dancing, Performances, Touch Stone Activity, Food, vendors, and more!
Thank you to Akira Olivia Kumamoto from Nichi Bei for this thoughtful article and documentation of Queer O-bon.