Pālolo Higashi Hongwanji Bon Dance

One of Oʻahu's older Higashi Honganji congregations, the mission traces its roots to 1922 as Moililiili Fukyosho on South King Street, reorganizing under the Higashi Honganji sect when Rev. Tenran Mori arrived in 1925. Displaced by construction of what became the H-1 Lunalio Freeway, the congregation relocated to Pālolo Valley in 1962 and in 1973 formally renamed itself Palolo Hongwanji — retaining its Higashi Honganji lineage.

The two-night dance features live taiko drumming from the temple's own yagura gumi alongside a social-hall marketplace of crafts, Japanese goods, food stalls, and shopping from small businesses and community organizations, with family-friendly games rounding out the evening. Food booths serve BBQ sticks, yakisoba, mochi, cone sushi, saimin, smoothies, and musubi. Free overflow parking is available at nearby Chaminade University of Honolulu, with a shuttle running from 4:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

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.