Bon dance · Waipahu, Oahu · 5 PM – 9 PM
Autumn Okinawa Dance Festival
Hosted by Hawaiʻi United Okinawa Association
The Hawaiʻi United Okinawa Association, founded in 1951 by descendants of Okinawan plantation workers who began arriving in 1900, built the Hawaiʻi Okinawa Center with over $9 million raised by its member clubs — opening in 1990 to mark 90 years of Okinawan immigration. This community-hosted dance is a more intimate counterpart to HUOA's sprawling late-summer Okinawan Festival, held annually at Kapiolani Park since 1982.
About bon dances
Bon dance (bon odori) is the centerpiece of obon, the Japanese Buddhist season honoring ancestors. In Hawaii the tradition arrived with plantation-era immigrants and became its own local institution — most temples across the islands hold a dance on a summer weekend between June and September, and the whole community turns out.
The setup is consistent: a yagura (a raised tower) anchors the temple yard, taiko drummers and singers keep the beat, and dancers move in concentric circles around the tower. You don't need to know the steps or be Buddhist to join — follow the circle, copy the person ahead of you, and you'll pick it up by the second song. Around the edges you'll find food booths selling andagi, plate lunches, shave ice, and saimin, plus craft and game tables.
- No experience needed — step into the circle and follow along.
- Come hungry; the food booths are half the reason people go.
- Bring small cash for food, games, and craft tables.
- Dances run rain or shine and are free to attend.
Source: JCCH 2026 statewide schedule; HUOA/HOC official. Bon dance dates and times can change — confirm with the temple before you go.