Hāna Buddhist Temple Bon Dance 2026

The Hāna Gakuen Hongwanji Temple traces its origins to 1907, when Reverend Ryogen Teramasa organized the Honpa Hongwanji mission in Hāna to serve the area's Japanese plantation-era community. The current temple building was constructed in 1940 by Japanese immigrant sugar workers. Following the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941, congregants were forced to disperse, the reverend was interned, and the temple closed; the local sugar plantation shut down by the late 1940s, and the bon dance tradition at the temple ceased around 1977 after roughly 40 years of continuous observance. The Hāna Buddhist Temple Preservation Association formed in 2015, completed structural and ornamental restoration, and revived the annual bon dance in September 2017.

The evening opens with a blessing ceremony, followed by food service and a live performance by the Taiko Drummers of Maui. Past editions have drawn more than 500 attendees, making it a significant community gathering in rural Hāna. The dance marks the close of the Maui obon season.