Waimea Higashi Hongwanji Bon Dance 2026

Waimea Higashi Hongwanji traces its origins to 1899, when Rev. Kenryu Yamada arrived on Kauai to share the Nembutsu teaching with the island's early Japanese plantation workers. His successor, Rev. Sueto Sato, worked with the lay community to construct a temple in Waimea. The mission belongs to the Higashi Honganji branch of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism.

The two-night bon dance draws crowds that overflow the temple's compact grounds along Kaumualii Highway. Live taiko anchors each evening — in 2026, Taiko Kauai performs on Friday and Tsunami Taiko on Saturday — followed by the community bon dancing circle. A food booth and mini country store open in the early evening each night, offering dinner plates alongside andagi, saimin, and a range of local island staples.

Food & vendors: Nishime and dioja dinner plates (Friday), roast pork and akule dinner plates (Saturday); also andagi, flying saucer, pronto pup, inari and maki sushi, spam musubi, gandule rice, and saimin from temple food booths

Parking & access: Parking available at the Old Waimea Sugar Mill and across the highway at the West Kauai Technology and Visitors Center