During the summer of 1932, Seattle's first Bon Odori festival was held by the Seattle Buddhist Church (Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple). Bon Odori is a traditional Japanese style of dancing performed during Obon, a Buddhist memorial service. The joyful dance celebrates selfless giving and expresses gratitude to departed family members and ancestors. Over the years, the annual open-to-all event has grown to include flower and craft exhibits, musical performances, food booths, demonstrations, and other activities. Bon Odori is officially part of Seafair, Seattle's ten-week-long summer festival of neighborhood and community celebrations.

In this image a line of dancers are watched by spectators along the street in front of the Seattle Buddhist Church, at 1020 Main Street (since 1941 the church has been located at 1427 S Main Street) in the Chinatown International District neighborhood. The dancers are wearing traditional Japanese kimonos with an obi, zōri sandals, and tabi socks. Typical Bon Odori involves dancers forming a circle around the yagura, a raised platform for musicians, however the way in which the dance is performed is different in each region and some dances simply proceed in a straight line through the streets of the town.

Caption information source: "Seattle Buddhist Church is dedicated on October 4, 1941," by Margaret Riddle, HistoryLink.org Essay 10785.
Caption information source: "Seattle Japanese Honor Their Dead," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 3, 1936, page 4.