page_title: Japanese Americans
section_title: Celebrations
hierarchical_section_title: Japanese Americans / Religion / Celebrations
caption_attribution_description: English: A kagami mochi display at Nijiya Market in San Diego, California in late November, 2016.
context_page_description: Japanese Americans are Americans who are fully or partially of Japanese descent, especially those who identify with that ancestry and its cultural characteristics. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asian American group at around 773,000, including those of partial ancestry. According to the 2010 census, the largest Japanese American communities were found in California with 272,528, Hawaii with 185,502, New York with 37,780, Washington with 35,008, Illinois with 17,542, and Ohio with 16,995. Southern California has the largest Japanese American population in North America and the city of Gardena holds the densest Japanese American population in the 48 contiguous states.
context_section_description: An important annual festival for Japanese Americans is the Obon Festival, which happens in July or August of each year. Across the country, Japanese Americans gather on fair grounds, churches and large civic parking lots and commemorate the memory of their ancestors and their families through folk dances and food. Carnival booths are usually set up so Japanese American children have the opportunity to play together.
  Japanese American celebrations tend to be more sectarian in nature and focus on the community-sharing aspects.
caption: A kagami mochi display for the upcoming Japanese New Year in San Diego's Nijiya Market
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