SALT LAKE CITY — Triple-digit temperatures did not stop hundreds of people from gathering Saturday in Salt Lake City’s historic Japantown for a tradition that has united generations for 90 years.
The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple hosted its 90th annual Obon Festival, a Japanese Buddhist celebration honoring loved ones who have died while celebrating community, culture and remembrance.
Organizers spent weeks preparing for one of the hottest days of the summer, adding shade canopies, cooling misters and extra water stations throughout the festival to help visitors beat the heat.
“We’re just more concerned about making sure that people are hydrated and they don’t get heat stroke, keeping everybody cool because it’s just so hot,” festival chair Trey Imamura said.
Even with temperatures reaching 103 degrees Saturday afternoon, volunteers continued grilling food, preparing traditional dishes and welcoming visitors.
Ralph Howland, who joined the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple four years ago, spent the afternoon cooking for festivalgoers despite the intense heat.
“I’d rather be cooking in the backyard,” Howland joked before returning to the grill. He joked his husband had gone inside after suffering heat stroke.
For Imamura, the festival’s 90th anniversary is a reminder of the generations who built and sustained the tradition.
“It’s a major milestone for the Japanese American community,” he said. “That means 90 years of different generations doing all the same work that we’re doing today.”
Obon began as a Buddhist tradition to honor ancestors, but Imamura said the festival has grown beyond the Japanese American community.
“Obon has become not just a Japanese festival — it’s all of Utah,” he said.
Although much of the activity shifted into shaded areas during the hottest part of the day, one tradition remained unchanged.
As evening temperatures began to cool, dancers prepared to fill the middle of the street for Bon Odori, the traditional community dance that has long been the centerpiece of the festival.
Vivian Nguyen, who planned to join the dancers later Saturday, said the heat wasn’t enough to keep people away.
“It’s so hot, but people still come to dance,” Nguyen said. “Even though it’s hot, we all come and be together.”
She laughed when asked about dancing in the heat while wearing traditional festival clothing.
“It’ll still be super hot, but you know what? It’ll be worth it,” Nguyen said. “I’ll be hot, but I’ll look cool.”
As volunteers continued serving food and families filled the streets, organizers said the milestone anniversary reflected more than the festival’s longevity.
For 90 years, they said, the tradition has survived because each generation has chosen to carry it forward — regardless of the weather.
