Bon dance · Lānaʻi City, Lanai
Lānaʻi Hongwanji Bon Dance 2026
Hosted by Lānaʻi Hongwanji Mission
Date
What to expect
The Lānaʻi Hongwanji Mission traces its roots to 1923, when Rev. Yoshio Hino arrived to minister to Japanese pineapple plantation laborers after James Dole began acquiring the island. Volunteers from the Japanese community erected a two-story Buddhist temple, language school, and minister's residence on the town square in 1925. Affiliated with the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai'i and following Jodo Shinshu (Shin Buddhist) teachings, the temple closed after the attack on Pearl Harbor when its resident minister was imprisoned in the Lānaʻi City Jail; in 1946, Rev. Tadao Kouchi returned and reestablished the mission in a converted plantation house at the edge of town. The mission marked its centennial in 2025.
Program highlights
- Founded 1925 by Lānaʻi's Japanese plantation-era community
- Jodo Shinshu (Shin Buddhist) mission under Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai'i
- Dance-only evening; bon service held separately on Friday, August 28
- Mission celebrated its centennial in 2025
Plan your weekend on Lanai
While you’re out for Lānaʻi 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: JCCH 2026 statewide schedule; HHMH temple locator; https://www.jcchawaii.org/resources/2026-obon-schedule. Dates and times can change — confirm with the organizer before you go.