Celebrating Japanese Culture in New Mexico: The Obon and Aki Matsuri Festivals in Albuquerque

Updated September 2026

At first glance, you’d think New Mexico and Japan have very little in common, other than the occasional sushi restaurant. Even that might seem surprising. Sushi in New Mexico? Yep. Despite being landlocked and high desert, we have some solid spots for Japanese cuisine.

But the connections go deeper. One of Albuquerque’s sister cities is Sasebo, Japan, a relationship that helped inspire the beautiful Sasebo Japanese Garden at the ABQ BioPark. New Mexico and Japan also share a more somber bond, including certain chapters of World War II history that left their mark on both regions.

I’ve always felt a strong pull toward Japanese culture and aesthetics. Years ago, a roommate half-joked that I was their “Japanese roommate” because I was clean, quiet, and polite. I took it as a compliment. If I had to choose one country outside the U.S. to live in for a year, it would be Japan. Granted, I’m basing that on three trips totaling about six weeks rather than actually living there, but so far, Japan hasn’t given me much reason to change my mind.

New Mexico is home to a small Japanese community, just over a thousand residents, mostly in Albuquerque. Thanks to my interest in Japanese culture, I try to attend local events when I can. Two that I look forward to every year are the Obon and Aki Matsuri festivals, both held in Albuquerque. In this post, I’ll highlight what to expect at each event and share a few resources in case you want to explore more Japan-related experiences in the Land of Enchantment.

But first, some quick historical context. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short.

Well… sort of.

Heads up: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, it helps support this site—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend stuff I genuinely use and trust.

Historical Connections Between New Mexico and Japan

Nuclear Bombs

Let’s start with the obvious, and not-so-pretty, historical connection between New Mexico and Japan: nuclear weapons. Think Los Alamos National Lab, White Sands Missile Range, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki.

During World War II, the first atomic bomb was developed as part of the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory in northern New Mexico. The bomb was then tested on July 16, 1945, at what’s now known as the Trinity Site, located at White Sands Missile Range, about 28 miles from San Antonio, New Mexico.

These events are depicted in the 2023 film Oppenheimer, named after physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who served as director of the Los Alamos lab during the war. Just weeks after that first test, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945), killing an estimated 80,000 people in Hiroshima and 40,000 in Nagasaki immediately, followed by tens of thousands more in the years that followed due to radiation-related illness.

On a side note, when I worked at Sandia National Laboratories about 20 years ago, I was part of a small delegation that hosted a group of about 20 nuclear scientists and administrators from Japan. As part of that experience, I had the unusual opportunity to join our Japanese friends for a visit to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque and the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos. It felt a bit awkward walking through the exhibits with our colleagues, particularly when a subset of them decided to pose in front of an old newspaper with a headline that referenced the “bombing of Japs.” It was one of those moments when history suddenly felt a lot less historical.

Confinement Camps in New Mexico

Another uncomfortable and lesser-known historical connection between New Mexico and Japan is that our state was home to four confinement camps during World War II. These camps imprisoned people of Japanese descent (referred to as Nikkei), including some who had lived in New Mexico for years.

The four sites were located in:

• Lordsburg
• Santa Fe
• Fort Stanton
• Baca Camp (also known as Old Raton Ranch), located 13 miles east of Fort Stanton near Lincoln, New Mexico

These sites were part of a much larger chapter of American history, where thousands of Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and detained, despite no evidence of wrongdoing.

If you’d like to learn more, I recommend the publication “Confinement in the Land of Enchantment”, produced by the New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League with support from the National Park Service’s Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) Program. It’s a good resource if you want to learn more about the confinement camps in New Mexico and the people who were held there.

Bataan Death March

A third connection between New Mexico and Japan is the Bataan Death March, a brutal World War II event that is honored each year in New Mexico through a commemorative race at White Sands Missile Range.

The original march took place in the Philippines on April 9, 1942, when the Japanese Army forced 75,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war (POWs) to march 65 miles through scorching heat and humidity with little to no food or water. Those who fell behind were often executed, shot, bayoneted, or beaten.

By the time the march ended, an estimated 5,000–18,000 Filipinos and 500–600 Americans had died. The Japanese commander responsible, along with two of his officers, was later tried and sentenced to death for war crimes.

Today, the Bataan Memorial Death March is a 26.2-mile marathon that takes place every March at White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces. The event honors those who endured and those who died during the original march.

As a Vietnam veteran, my dad loved this event and completed it more than ten times before passing away in 2023. I had the opportunity to join him for four of those races, though I chose the 14.2-mile honorary route for two of them. It offered a humbling reminder of the sacrifice behind the story and made it pretty hard to complain about sore legs afterward.

As the race website says, the Bataan Memorial Death March is “more than just a marathon.” And it is. The event draws military and civilian participants from all over the country, as well as some international teams.

One of the most memorable aspects of the event in past years was the presence of survivors of the original Bataan Death March. They offered handshakes and quiet encouragement to participants at the finish line. The last known American survivor to regularly attend, Col. Ben Skardon, passed away in 2021 at the age of 104. While there are no longer survivors at the event, their legacy continues to shape the spirit of the march.

Participants can enter solo or sign up as part of a 5-person team, with the added twist that all teammates must cross the finish line within 20 seconds of each other. For those looking to make it harder, there’s a “heavy” division, which requires carrying a 35-pound pack the whole way.

Military teams, regardless of division, are required to march in uniform and boots. Civilians can wear whatever they want. Most take full advantage of that freedom, including me.

The next Bataan Memorial Death March will take place on Saturday, March 20, 2027.

Sister Cities: Albuquerque and Sasebo

Finally, on a lighter and more recent note, Albuquerque and Sasebo, Japan have been sister cities for over 55 years. The connection was originally sparked by friendships formed during the Korean War, when individuals from both cities met and stayed in touch.

Albuquerque actually has twelve sister cities around the world, including Alburquerque, Spain; Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; Chihuahua and Guadalajara, Mexico; Helmstedt, Germany; Hualien, Taiwan; Jericho, Palestine; Kharkiv, Ukraine; Lanzhou, China; Lusaka, Zambia; Rehovot, Israel; and, of course, Sasebo, Japan.

The Albuquerque Sister Cities Foundation is part of the city’s Economic Development Department and helps carry out a city ordinance promoting “greater friendship and understanding between the people of Albuquerque and cities of other nations.”

The relationship with Sasebo eventually inspired the creation of the Sasebo Japanese Garden at the ABQ BioPark, a place I always enjoy visiting.

Japanese Cultural Events in New Mexico

The New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League helps promote Japanese culture in the state and supports Japanese cultural events throughout the year. Two of the biggest are the Obon and Aki Matsuri festivals in Albuquerque, which I’ll describe below.

The Obon Festival at the ABQ BioPark Japanese Garden

Obon is a special time of year in Japan when the souls of the dead are believed to return to visit the living. It’s somewhat similar to Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) traditions here in New Mexico, though the timing and customs differ.

In Japan, Obon generally takes place around August 13–16. It’s a time for families to reunite with the spirits of their ancestors, eating, drinking, and sharing stories together. You may see it called simply Bon or with the honorific “O” as Obon. Both refer to the same celebration.

As part of the tradition, people display paper lanterns at their homes, often electrified these days. If it’s the first Obon since a loved one’s passing, a special lantern or small fire may be placed outside to help guide their spirit home.

Obon is also a time for families to clean ancestral gravestones, perform Bon Odori (Bon dances), and, at the end of the holiday, send off the spirits. If near water, families may float lanterns downstream or out to sea, each one representing the soul of an ancestor.

That’s the general idea, but customs vary depending on the region.

Here in Albuquerque, the Obon celebration is condensed into just a few hours at the Sasebo Japanese Garden inside the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden. (And if you read the “Sister Cities” section above, you already know why it’s named Sasebo.)

As an ABQ BioPark Zoo Docent, I’ve volunteered at the Obon Festival a few times over the years and have included a few photos below from those events.

If you’ve never been to the four-acre Sasebo Japanese Garden in Albuquerque, it’s well worth a visit. Designed by landscape architect Toru Tanaka, the garden opened in September 2007.

You’ll find a koi pond, waterfall, stone lanterns, pagoda sculptures, and wooden and stone bridges, surrounded by a mix of Japanese and regional plants.

Here are a few photos to give you a sense of what to expect.

The 2026 Obon Festival took place on Friday, August 14, from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. One of the perks of attending is getting to experience the Sasebo Japanese Garden at night, something you normally don’t get to do. It also gives the mosquitoes a chance to feed on you as the sun goes down, so plan accordingly.

The festival includes Japanese cuisine and refreshments, along with cultural activities and performances. The 2026 event included a traditional tea ceremony, taiko drumming, bonsai displays, calligraphy, origami, and several Japanese art and educational activities.

The evening culminates with one of my favorite parts of the festival: decorating a floating lantern with a name, drawing, or message and placing it in the water to honor a loved one who has passed. As the sun goes down, the lanterns gradually gather together on the pond.

The Obon Festival at the ABQ BioPark typically sells out, so if you’re thinking about attending a future event, I recommend buying tickets in advance.

Aki Matsuri

Another Japanese festival held annually in Albuquerque is Aki Matsuri, which is often translated as “Fall Festival” or “Autumn Festival.” This year, the festival takes place on Sunday, September 27, from 10 AM to 5 PM at EXPO New Mexico (a.k.a. the New Mexico State Fairgrounds). Tickets can be purchased through the New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League (NMJACL).

In Japan, Aki Matsuri is a time to give thanks for a successful harvest and for the health of the community. The festival may include a parade of miniature shrines (mikoshi), traditional music and dance, and, of course, plenty of food. Rituals often celebrate the change of seasons, such as praying for forgiveness of past wrongs and offering wishes for future blessings. In some regions, visitors write their wishes on wooden tablets and hand them to ascetic monks (shugendō), who chant Buddhist sutras and cast the tablets into a sacred bonfire to bless them.

Albuquerque’s version of Aki Matsuri features a full day of music and dance performances, martial arts, arts and crafts, Japanese food, and a variety of vendors. The theme for the 2026 Aki Matsuri Festival is MOMIJI (Japanese Maple), a nod to the changing colors of autumn.

Taiko drumming demonstration at the Aki Matsuri Festival.

Museum of International Folk Art

Beyond the two annual festivals, New Mexico occasionally hosts Japanese-themed exhibits and performances, especially at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Back in 2014, the museum showcased more than 200 Japanese kites, complete with live demonstrations. More recently, the Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan exhibit (which ran through 2023) offered a deep dive into Japan’s supernatural folklore. The term yōkai is a catch-all for ghosts, demons, shapeshifters, and other mysterious beings you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.

📚 Want to Learn More About Japanese Culture?

If you’re curious to learn more about Japanese traditions and history, or you’re planning your own trip to Japan, here are a few books worth checking out.

• A Geek in Japan by Héctor García. An illustrated introduction to Japanese culture, covering everything from traditions and social customs to modern Japanese life.
• Japan: A Guide to Traditions, Customs and Etiquette: Kata as the Key to Understanding the Japanese by Boyé Lafayette De Mente. A practical guide to Japanese customs, etiquette, and cultural norms.
• The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture by Roger J. Davies and Osamu Ikeno. A deeper look at traditional Japanese cultural values and social customs, and how they shape communication and everyday life.
• Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. A memoir about the author’s childhood at the Manzanar confinement camp during World War II.
• Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps by Mary Matsuda Gruenewald. Gruenewald’s account of her family’s forced removal and confinement during World War II.
• Japanese Traditions: Rice Cakes, Cherry Blossoms and Matsuri by Setsu Broderick. And for kids who are interested in Japan, this illustrated book covers Japanese seasonal traditions and celebrations, including Obon. It’s written primarily for ages 7–12.

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Thought for the Week

For this week’s thought for the week, I’ll give us something to chew on from Japanese Buddhist scholar and writer Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki, better known as D.T. Suzuki (1870–1966). Suzuki wrote extensively about Zen Buddhism and played an important role in introducing Zen to Western audiences during the 20th century. He wrote numerous books on Zen and Japanese culture, including An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, Zen and Japanese Culture, and Essays in Zen Buddhism.

One of the ideas Suzuki explored was experiencing life directly as it happens, rather than constantly trying to control it, analyze it, or make it conform to our expectations. In other words, pay attention to the life that’s actually unfolding in front of you instead of getting too caught up in how you think it should unfold.

It’s an idea that applies particularly well to travel. Trips rarely go exactly according to plan, and sometimes the unexpected parts turn out to be the ones you remember most.

Which brings us to this week’s quote:

“The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows.”
— D.T. Suzuki

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Thanks for reading and happy travels!

Mark (The New Mexico Travel Guy)

Mark Aspelin, The New Mexico Travel Guy (www.newmexicotravelguy.com), is a travel writer, conservation biologist, project manager, and author of two books. He’s currently working on his third book, the upcoming Moon New Mexico travel guide (Fall 2027), published by Moon Travel Guides, and wrote the Northeastern New Mexico chapter for the 2026 edition of Fodor’s New Mexico. Mark has visited over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. states, just enough to land in the Travelers’ Century Club and make choosing a favorite place nearly impossible. He’s currently on a questionable mission to visit every town in New Mexico (there are over 500) and write a story about each one, with plans to wrap it up sometime before his early to mid 100s. Mark balances his writing with conservation and project work from his home base in the East Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico.