Bon dance · Nāʻālehu, Big Island · From 5 PM
Pāhala & Nālehu Hongwanji Combined Bon Dance
Hosted by Pāhala and Nālehu Hongwanji
Ka'u's two Jodo Shinshu congregations — Pāhala Hongwanji and Nāʻālehu Hongwanji — pool their communities for a single combined Obon, rotating the host site between the two temples each year. Both missions share the same minister and serve Hawaiʻi's southernmost Buddhist communities, drawing hundreds to the rural Ka'u coast for one of the Big Island's latest dates on the Obon calendar.
About bon dances
Bon dance (bon odori) is the centerpiece of obon, the Japanese Buddhist season honoring ancestors. In Hawaii the tradition arrived with plantation-era immigrants and became its own local institution — most temples across the islands hold a dance on a summer weekend between June and September, and the whole community turns out.
The setup is consistent: a yagura (a raised tower) anchors the temple yard, taiko drummers and singers keep the beat, and dancers move in concentric circles around the tower. You don't need to know the steps or be Buddhist to join — follow the circle, copy the person ahead of you, and you'll pick it up by the second song. Around the edges you'll find food booths selling andagi, plate lunches, shave ice, and saimin, plus craft and game tables.
- No experience needed — step into the circle and follow along.
- Come hungry; the food booths are half the reason people go.
- Bring small cash for food, games, and craft tables.
- Dances run rain or shine and are free to attend.
Source: JCCH 2026 statewide schedule; HHMH temple locator. Bon dance dates and times can change — confirm with the temple before you go.