Makawao Hongwanji Mission’s Obon Festival will happen on Friday, July 26th and Saturday, July 27th. During the festival, chochin (paper) lanterns will be hung to guide the spirits, and a folk dance called bon odori will be performed around the rhythms of Japanese taiko drums. Anyone can join in the dances, so get dressed in your yukata (summer kimono), and celebrate this annual … [Read more...] about Makawao Hongwanji Mission’s Obon Festival
MAKAWAO HONGWANJI MISSION
Bon Dance Season Is Here: Kimonos, paper lanterns, and honoring the dead
At a recent Obon festival at the Makawao Hongwanji Mission, I sat on a wooden bench under a beautiful Friday evening sunset. A full moon rose behind us. As spectators gathered, dancers moved in synchronized steps around a wide circle with a temple-like platform at the center. Elderly ladies, hair in buns and Obi expertly tied, gracefully considered well-known steps, while … [Read more...] about Bon Dance Season Is Here: Kimonos, paper lanterns, and honoring the dead