Kurtistown Jodo Mission Bon Dance 2026

Founded in 1902 by minister Enjo Ito — who began by renting a room at the Yamagata Hotel before building a temple and Japanese school that same year — this Jodo Shu (Pure Land) Buddhist mission traces its roots to the plantation-era Japanese community of the Puna district. Originally called Olaa Bukkyo Kaido, it has served the Kurtistown area for over a century as part of the Hawaii Council of Jodo Missions' thirteen-temple statewide network. Nestled near the foot of Kīlauea looking toward Hilo, the temple holds its annual Obon each August, one of the older continuous bon dance celebrations on the Big Island.