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