Kauai Soto Zen Temple Zenshuji Bon Dance 2026

Zenshuji traces its roots to 1903, when Japanese plantation laborers at McBryde Sugar Company's Wahiawa Camp established Kauai's first — and still only — Soto Zen temple. The annual Obon celebration has anchored Hanapēpē's Japanese American community for over five generations, drawing hundreds of chōchin lanterns strung across the temple grounds alongside taiko drumming, kimono-clad dancers, and traditional festival foods.

The two-night celebration is known for its flying saucers — the fried doughnut pastry that Hanapēpē bills as its own origin — alongside shoyu chicken, nishime, plate lunch, saimin, mochi, and manju from temple food booths. Hundreds of chōchin lanterns illuminate the grounds each year, many bearing the names of loved ones through the temple's Chochin Project, which invites anyone to sponsor a $25 lantern in memory or in honor of someone. Weekly bon dance practice sessions at Hanapepe Recreational Center on Thursday evenings at 6:00 p.m. welcome newcomers before the festival.

Food & vendors: Flying saucers, shoyu chicken, nishime, plate lunch, saimin, mochi, and manju from temple food booths

Parking & access: Parking volunteers direct traffic on-site from 3:00–7:30 p.m. both evenings