Honpa Hongwanji Hawaiʻi Betsuin Bon Dance

Honpa Hongwanji Hawaiʻi Betsuin, established in 1906 as the headquarters of all Hongwanji temples in Hawaiʻi, belongs to the Nishi (West) Hongwanji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, with ties to the Nishi Hongwanji head temple in Kyoto. The Hongwanji mission in Hawaiʻi took root alongside Japanese plantation immigration, with the first Hongwanji temple in the islands dedicated in 1889. The Betsuin claims the distinction of hosting the first bon dance on Oʻahu in 1925, and remains a touchstone for the tradition across the islands.

The two-night festival opens with a taiko drumming performance outside at 6:00 PM, an opening aspiration from the yagura at 6:15 PM, and community dancing at 6:30 PM. Alongside the dance, the event features a bontique shop, professional photography by Studio FX3, temple tours, and a kids' Wheel of Chances game. Food booths offer BBQ plates and bowls, hot dogs, teri hamburgers, saimin, chili, soy beans, spam musubi, shave ice, andagi (Saturday only), and baked goods. Temple access is from Lusitana Street rather than the Pali Highway frontage.

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.