Bon dance · Kapaʻau, Big Island · From 4:30 PM
Kohala Jodo Mission Bon Dance 2026
Hosted by Kohala Jodo Mission
Date
What to expect
Established in 1902 when Rev. Shoshin Anzai began missionary work in North Kohala's sugar plantation community, the Kohala Jodo Mission built its combined temple and Japanese-language school the following year. One of the Big Island's older Jodo Shu (Pure Land) congregations, the mission has served this tight-knit plantation-heritage community for more than 120 years.
Kapaʻau and the surrounding North Kohala district drew large numbers of Japanese immigrant workers during the sugar plantation era, and the mission became a center of both religious practice and Japanese-language education for those families. The annual bon dance continues that tradition of community gathering in one of the Big Island's most rural plantation-heritage towns.
Program highlights
- Founded 1902 by Rev. Shoshin Anzai; combined temple and school built 1903
- Jodo Shu (Pure Land) congregation serving North Kohala for over 120 years
Plan your weekend on Big Island
While you’re out for Kohala 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; Verification source; Verification source. Dates and times can change — confirm with the organizer before you go.