Higashi Hongwanji Hawaiʻi Betsuin Bon Dance

The Higashi Hongwanji Betsuin traces its roots to 1916, when Rev. Shingyo Doi established a temporary chapel in Honolulu's Kalihi-Palama neighborhood — one of Hawaiʻi's earliest Jodo Shinshu congregations and the head temple of the Higashi (Eastern) Hongwanji district in the state. Formally recognized as the Hawaii Betsuin in 1922, the mission relocated to its current Alaneo Street building in 1983.

The two-evening summer bon dance draws community members and visitors alike, with food booths opening at 5:30 p.m. and an opening ceremony at 6:30 before open-circle dancing begins at 7. Vendor stalls rotate offerings across the two nights — fresh andagi, shave ice and desserts, yakisoba with or without BBQ meat, hot ramen, and freshly fried croquettes appear both evenings, while Spam musubi is offered on Friday and chili rice on Saturday. The cafeteria hosts keiki activities including origami, fan painting, doll card making, and flower arranging alongside the dancing.

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.