Bon dance · Kahului, Maui · From 7:30 PM
Kahului Jodo Mission Bon Dance 2026
Hosted by Kahului Jodo Mission
Date
What to expect
Founded in 1910 as Maui's first Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhist mission — with Rev. Shodo Hara arriving in 1909 to conduct services in a plantation house in Young Hee Village, Puunene — the temple relocated to Kahului in 1969 as Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar closed the plantation camps and moved workers to the newly built "Dream City." A 2009 centennial celebration, themed "Senzo Dai Dai: Remembering our Ancestors," marked a century of obon observance carried from the cane fields into present-day Kahului.
The evening opens with a Buddhist memorial service at 6:30 p.m. before the Bon Odori circle dance begins at 7:30 p.m. A food concession operates during the event.
Program highlights
- Maui's first Jodo Mission, founded 1910 in Puunene plantation camps
- Relocated to Kahului in 1969 as plantation camps closed
- 2009 centennial themed 'Senzo Dai Dai: Remembering our Ancestors'
- Memorial service at 6:30 p.m. opens the evening before the dancing
Plan your visit
Food & vendors: Food concession available
Plan your weekend on Maui
While you’re out for Kahului Jodo Mission 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.