Culture Keeper: Community leader preserves, strengthens San Jose's Japantown

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Raised in Northern California's South Bay, Matt Ogawa has deep roots in San Jose's Japanese American community. From a young age, he was involved with the Young Buddhist Association (YBA) and worked at the local preschool affiliated with the temple. Today, he continues to give back-serving on the temple board, advising YBA members, and helping organize the annual Obon Festival as part of the Obon Committee.

Matt's community involvement stems from a desire to preserve his cultural background. His passion for advocacy first took shape in college, where he was involved in launching student clubs and community groups.

"I realized there's a lot about my background and this community that I wanted to help maintain, especially here in San Jose's Japantown," Matt said. "So I started getting more involved during and after college. Ever since I was a child, I've been surrounded by this community. On my mom's side, my family was very active in the Redress Movement following the World War II incarceration. And on my grandfather's side-he was actually the vice mayor of Oakland and one of the first Asian Americans to hold office in a major city in the continental U.S. Through them, I learned about advocacy, giving back and what it means to serve."

Obon, a Buddhist holiday rooted in Japan, honors loved ones and ancestors who have passed. In the U.S., Obon retains the same spiritual meaning, but also serves a broader purpose, bringing people together in remembrance, celebration and cultural exchange.

"Obon is a way to reflect and honor those who came before us," Matt said. "Here in San Jose, it also brings our community together to support local causes and share Japanese American culture with others outside of Japantown."

Unlike other Japantown communities where temples and community centers operate separately, San Jose's Buddhist temple is a uniquely integrated space, hosting religious services as well as basketball games, judo, dance classes, clubs and more. This makes the temple a vital hub of cultural and social life.

The San Jose Obon Festival is the largest of its kind in North America and a centerpiece of Asian American cultural life in the Bay Area. Family groups and organizations affiliated with the temple host booths throughout the weekend, with 100% of proceeds going back to support temple programs.

"For us, Obon isn't just about fundraising, it's about celebrating our community, our Japantown and passing on the history and values we've upheld for generations. It gives younger and older generations a chance to pay their respects, connect with culture and experience joy together."

"Obon takes a huge team effort," Matt says. "As generations go on, we want to make sure everything that goes into the festival is passed down. That's why so many of us step up to keep the festival alive and help the community continue to benefit from it."

Each year, the festival brings in over 3,000 dancers for the traditional Obon Odori held on both Saturday and Sunday nights. With over 1,000 volunteers, the event features taiko drumming, live music, arts and crafts, food booths, games and community performances.

This year's Obon Festival will take place on July 12th and 13th in San Jose's Japantown, running all day Saturday and Sunday.

"There's always tons of food, fun and surprises," Matt says. "It's the one time of year where everyone comes home. It feels like one big reunion. You see people you haven't seen in years, even childhood friends. That's my favorite part."

Outside his community work, Matt is Vice President of Human Resources at Meta Platforms Inc., where he leads Core Business HR, Global Employee Relations, Wellness, and Internal Community teams. He also serves as an Executive Advisor for Meta's Asian Pacific Islander (API) employee resource groups and has helped lead cross-functional diversity initiatives to amplify API representation and cultural awareness companywide.

Before Meta, Matt was an HR executive at Gap Inc., where he founded its API employee group and helped launch Banana Republic and other brands in the Asia market.

"It's not just about giving back myself-it's about creating opportunities for other employees to get involved in their local communities too."

Matt has also served on several API arts and youth advocacy boards. He helped launch California's first statewide Japanese American giving fund and co-produces the Bay Area Classic, the largest API celebrity basketball charity event in the U.S.

"We started the Bay Area Classic almost ten years ago," he says. "It's the only event of its kind in North America that brings together creators, influencers and Asian celebrities to give back. 100% of proceeds go to a nonprofit of our choice. It's a fun, unique fundraiser and a way to bring more cultural visibility and energy to the Bay."

Held annually in the Fall, the Bay Area Classic spotlights Asian American content creators and community leaders.

"Whether it's through Obon or the basketball game, I want to instill the same memories I had growing up into the next generation. I want our culture, our heritage and our community to keep thriving, not fade away."

For more information, visit San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin or follow @sjobon @ogawamatt @thebayareaclassic on Instagram

To see more ABC7 Allies in Action, visit here.