Soto Mission of ʻAiea Obon 2026

Taiheiji traces its roots to 1904, when the Soto-shū sent Rev. Sogyo Ueoka from Japan to serve Japanese plantation workers at the Aiea Sugar Plantation. A permanent minister arrived in 1918 and oversaw construction of a temple on land leased from the Honolulu Sugar Company; the building—named Shinjuzan Taiheiji, meaning "Pearl Mountain, Temple of the Pacific"—was completed in 1924 and formally recognized by the Territory of Hawaii in 1927. The bon dance is held annually on the second Friday and Saturday of August, drawing hundreds of people each evening.

The bon dance opens with taiko drumming by Hawaii Matsuri Taiko and Taiheiji's own Somei Taiko Group before hundreds of dancers circle the yagura tower. A featured highlight is Okinawan Eisa led by Hawaii Eisa Shinyuu Kai, a crowd draw that has built a devoted following over the past two decades. Food booths serve dinner plates, fried noodles, saimin, burgers, chili, drinks, and shave ice.