Hawaiʻi’s Plantation Village Bon Dance 2026

Hawaiʻi's Plantation Village has hosted its obon celebration since the early 1990s — now in its 36th year — as a natural expression of the museum's mission to honor the immigrant cultures whose labor shaped Hawaiʻi's sugar economy. Japanese workers began arriving in 1885 and brought the bon dance tradition with them from their home prefectures; the 25 restored plantation-era structures on the grounds make their descendants' continued dancing here feel like a living continuation of that history. Multiple Buddhist communities across Oʻahu participate, including the Waipahu Soto Zen Temple, which maintains a tent on-site for the occasion.

Ten bon dance organizations from across Oʻahu perform under the open sky, accompanied by live taiko from Waipahu Taiyoji Taiko and Ryugen Taiko, with singer and emcee Hikariyama Torao leading the program. At sunset, a lantern-floating ceremony takes place — lanterns are available for purchase at the Waipahu Soto Zen Temple tent on-site. Food booths open at 3:30 p.m. and a pop-up craft tent is on site throughout the evening. The restored plantation-home backdrop gives the event a historical resonance unlike any other obon on the island.