Obon...a time of joy and gratitude

Obon is a Buddhist custom that originated more than 500 years ago in Japan and came to Hawaii with the Japanese immigrant workers of the nineteenth century. 

Obon is the traditional summer festival held in mid-July or mid-August to invite spirits of dead ancestors back home, hold a memorial service and then send the spirits back to heaven. These festivals are very family-oriented activities; and they’re often attended by three or even four generations within each family!  

Our 2022 Obon Festival  was joyful! See for yourself!

In gratitude

So many people volunteered to make this year's Obon Festival a success. We offer our thanks and gratitude to:
  • Rev. Junshin Miyazaki, 13th minister for Hakalau Jodo Mission as well as minister for Kurtistown Jodo Mission and resident minister of Hilo Meishoin.
  • Leonard Chow, President of Hilo Bon Dance Club (Taiko)
  • Odori Sensei Jane Heit of the Tsukikage Bon Odorikai (Moonlight Dance Club)
  • Robert and Norma Yara, lifelong members of the Hakalau Jodo Mission, who generously shared their knowledge and experience to guide volunteers in preparing for this year's Bon Dance.
  • All those who fed us well from the Thai Food Booth (Dao Pitiyanon, Luckana Evans, Chaba Chalker, Im Baker, Ubon Henderson), WKA Karate Kids Food Booth (Sensei Patricia Taniguchi and parents of her karate students, and the Poi Balls Food Truck (Justin, Jeannette, and Phoenix Yamashiro and Joshua Penney).
  • Special thanks to Michi Ochi and her Ohana for creating delicious bentos to feed the dancers from the Tsukikage and the drummers from the Hilo Bon Dance Club.
  • Akiko Masuda, Community Liaison for the Hakalau Jodo Mission and President of the Wailea Village Historic Preservation Community 
  • and all those who worked behind the scenes to make this year's Obon a success: Banchan Bamba, Nikki Barton and Luke Hubbard, John Boyer and Mike Stolp, Ken and Susan Forbes, Julie Goettsch, Bob and Virginia Juettner, Hiroshi Kozohara, Kurt Melow, Cyr Pakele, Merrick and Megan Patten, Matt Shall, Easten Tanimoto, Eddie Tasaki, and Krista Walter.
For the Hakalau Kuleana, our responsibility is to care for the land, the people, and the culture. We are guided by cultural values of YESTERDAY: Engage in collective effort. Look out for each other. Honor hard work. Show respect for those who came before us. Aloha and Mālama `Aina. In 2021, Akiko Masuda added two more values to the list: Consistently show up. Whatever has to be done, jump in and do it!