Haleʻiwa Shingon Mission Bon Dance 2026

Founded in 1918 by Rev. Gido Ikeda, Haleʻiwa Shingon Mission is one of Oahu's oldest Japanese Buddhist temples, established during the plantation-era wave of Japanese immigrant settlement on the North Shore. The congregation built the present hall under the direction of Rev. Kogon Kawamura, with its formal dedication held in 1925. One of 12 temples in the Koyasan Shingon Mission of Hawaii network, it follows the esoteric Shingon Mikkyo tradition traced to Kobo Daishi. Its annual bon dance has anchored Japanese-American community life on the North Shore for over a century.

The two-night dance draws the wider North Shore community to the mission grounds on Pa'ala'a Road each July. Food booths are a centerpiece of the evening: the 2026 lineup includes saimin made with homemade dashi and Young's Noodle Factory noodles, cold somen, teri beef burger deluxe, overnight-marinated BBQ beef sticks, musubi combos, cone sushi, bento, makizushi, andagi, shave ice, and Aoki's Ice Cakes.

Food & vendors: Saimin with homemade dashi and Young's Noodle Factory noodles, cold somen, teri beef burger deluxe, BBQ beef sticks, musubi combos, cone sushi, bento, makizushi, andagi, shave ice, and Aoki's Ice Cakes