Bon dance · Papaikou, Big Island · 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Pāpaʻikou Hongwanji Bon Dance 2026
Hosted by Papaikou Hongwanji Mission
Date
What to expect
Pāpaʻikou Hongwanji Mission is a Jodo Shinshu congregation affiliated with the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, rooted in the Japanese immigrant community that came to the Big Island's sugarcane plantations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The mission had a resident minister documented by at least 1921, when Rev. Miho Sato transferred here from Honohina Hongwanji, and today is served by an associate minister through Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin alongside other small Hāmākua Coast congregations.
This intimate Hāmākua Coast bon dance is known for its food booth offering andagi (Okinawan-style fried dough balls) and sweet bread — a pairing that reflects the mix of Japanese and Okinawan heritage in the plantation community. The setting, a small plantation-era village rather than an urban temple complex, gives it a distinctly local, neighborhood feel.
Program highlights
- Food booth sells andagi and sweet bread
- Jodo Shinshu mission with documented roots from at least 1921
- One-night obon in a small Hāmākua Coast plantation village
Plan your visit
Food & vendors: Andagi and sweet bread
Plan your weekend on Big Island
While you’re out for Pāpaʻikou 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: Verification source; Verification source; Verification source. Dates and times can change — confirm with the organizer before you go.