Bon dance · Kahului, Maui · From 7:30 PM
Kahului Hongwanji Bon Dance 2026
Hosted by Kahului Hongwanji Mission
What to expect
Kahului Hongwanji was established in 1911 as a branch of Wailuku Hongwanji Mission, originally serving Japanese plantation workers, and became an independent Jodo Shinshu congregation in 1957. Its obon carries a double legacy: in October 1972, after HC&S closed its plantation villages, the neighboring Puunene Hongwanji — which had served that community for 62 years — merged into Kahului Hongwanji. As a symbol of that union, a sapling from Puunene Mission's Bodhi tree was planted on the front lawn, folding the ancestral memory of two congregations into a single annual dance.
The mission completed a new yagura for its 2025 bon dance, giving the traditional raised tower a permanent home on the temple grounds for dancers to circle beneath. The two-night event features food booths and taiko drummers alongside the bon odori.
Program highlights
- Founded 1911 as a Jodo Shinshu mission; independent congregation since 1957
- 1972 merger absorbed Puunene Hongwanji after HC&S closed plantation villages
- New yagura completed for the 2025 bon dance
- Two-night dance with food booths and taiko
Plan your weekend on Maui
While you’re out for Kahului Hongwanji Bon Dance, see who else is open — and meet the makers and farmers behind Hawai‘i’s markets.
Farmers markets this weekend
What’s worth a trip this weekend
One email a week: the makers worth seeking out, pop-ups, and Hawai‘i cultural events worth planning around.
Sources: Verification source; Verification source. Dates and times can change — confirm with the organizer before you go.