Kapa‘a Bon Dances – July 18th and 19th

Event Description

Summer is Bon Dance season at the island’s six Buddhist temples.  July 18th and 19th are set on the Royal Coconut Coast at the the Kapa‘a Hongwanji in the evening. Bon dances are communal folk dances associated with the Bon Festival, a Buddhist summer ceremony in which the spirits of departed ancestors are welcomed back to the world of the living for their annual visit. A national custom in Japan by the Edo period, bon festivals became a big part of Japanese immigrant life in the continental United States and Hawai’i before World War II. They continue today across Hawai‘i. On Kaua‘i the season spans six weeks from mid June through July. This year,  the second to last event is the Bon Dance in Kapa‘a, with the last performance at the Waimea Higashi Hongwanji on July 25th and 26th. The full list of performances and the song list are found here: https://kauaibuddhistcouncil.org/

Visitors enjoying the performance will find dancers in bright kimono and a broad display of Japanese lanterns. Typically, food booths are nearby. Joining in the dancing is allowed. Read this article in “Hawai‘i Magazine” describing how the experience unfolds.

Photo courtesy of Kapaa Hongwanji. Information resource: Densho Encyclopedia