60th Cherry Blossom Festival Contestant
Tomomi Julia Ida
Parents: Tom and Keiko Ida
High School: Yokota High School, 2005
College: University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2009
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Japanese, 2009; Master of Science in Molecular Bioscience, expected in 2012
Occupation: Student
Ambition: To become a physician who can help those in need in the community
Interests: Traveling, cooking, playing the piano
Obon is the time of the year families pay respect to those family members and relatives who passed away. It is that time to visit the graves of the loved ones and pray for their souls. My grandparents immigrated to Hawaii but their ashes were returned to Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture their birthplace. Having been brought up in Japan, I recall that I visited my grandparents’ grave with my parents during Obon. We also visited the original Ida family who took care of my grandparents’ grave to thank them for their helpfulness and their remembrance of the Hawaii Idas. An important aspect of this tradition leads to yet another, perhaps deeper tradition. It is that of filial piety: the respect for parents and elders. Therefore, Obon is a very valuable Japanese tradition for me that brings my family together and think about my family roots.