Note: To include news of your temple or organization’s obon-related events this summer, email thehawaiiherald@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit your information for brevity. [We are also not repeating information we included in past Herald issues.] For updates, check with the temple or organization’s website, social media, newsletter, office or recent messages — as events are changing regularly.
EVENTS SET TO RUN
MAUI
Lahaina Jodo Mission [(808) 661-4304]
Activities only for “members and friends” on Saturday, July 3, include —
- 6 p.m.: Bon service at Pagoda.
- 6:30 p.m.: Bon service at Hondo.
- 7 p.m.: Nenbutsu (prayer) procession.
- 7:30 p.m.: Toro nagashi (lantern floating).
- 8 p.m.: Presentation of Daibutsu Ondo.
Makawao Hongwanji Buddhist Temple [(808) 572-7229]
Check for updates at makawaohongwanji.org. Most activities are limited to temple members; questions, call temple or email MakawaoHongwanji@honpahi.org.
Sunday, July 18, 9 a.m.: Obon service, including all family memorials, not just hatsubon (first obon service), will be both virtual (streamed via facebook.com/MakawaoHongwanji) and in-person following the temple’s revised COVID-19 protocols for July 2021:
- If not everyone attending the service in-person is vaccinated —
- For the vaccinated: Masks on, clean hands, distancing OPTIONAL
- For the not vaccinated: Masks on, clean hands, distancing RECOMMENDED
- Dharma school (and all children under 12 years old): Outdoors-only, masks on, clean hands, distancing RECOMMENDED
- Livestream of services: Always available for those who choose to stay home, who are not Maui residents or who cannot attend in-person for any reason.
2. If everyone attending the service in-person is vaccinated —
- Masks OPTIONAL, clean hands, distancing OPTIONAL
Friday, July 23-Monday, July 26: Lanterns hung for hatsubon service; origami cranes will also decorate the temple (or) grounds.
Saturday, July 24:
- Hatsubon service.
- Virtual Bon Dance (livestreamed, most likely via facebook.com/MakawaoHongwanji). Private event with a Zenshin Daiko performance.
Wailuku Hongwanji Mission [(808) 244-0402].
- No bon dance.
- Friday, Aug. 6, 6 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 7, 4 p.m.: Hatsubon service.
HAWAI‘I ISLAND
Daifukuji Soto Mission (Daifukuji Zen Buddhist Temple) [(808) 322-3524]
- No bon dance.
- Sunday, July 11, 8-10:30 a.m.: Cemetery clean up of weeding and of cleaning graves and crematorium area. Lunch will be provided.
- Sign up by emailing rev.jiko@daifukuji.org or calling the temple or Stephen Tanaka at (808) 938-4617.
- If you have them, please bring weeding and moss scraping tools labeled with your name. Garden gloves and mosquito repellent, too.
Hilo Meishoin [(808) 935-6996]
- No bon dance.
- Saturday, July 3-Friday, July 9: Private hatsubon service and Toba prayer available.
- Saturday, July 10: Bon service.
Kohala Jodo Mission [(808) 889-5456].
- Saturday, July 10
- 9 a.m.: Bon graveyard service.
- 10 a.m.: Hatsubon service with Toba prayer.
KAUA‘I
- Koloa Jodo Mission [(808) 742-6735]
- Sunday, July 18, 10:30 a.m.: Bon service with Toba prayer.
- TBA: Virtual bon dance and virtual toro nagashi.
O‘AHU
Jodo Mission of Hawaii [(808) 949-3995]
- No bon dance.
Virtual bon service (no in-person attendance)
- Friday, Aug. 20, 6 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 21, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m.: Link to Zoom service will be provided mid-July on temple website (jodo.us) and in Aug. newsletter.
Private in-person services
- We believe we can hold private services in our temple, if everyone wears a mask (covering nostrils), social distances 6 feet, avoids touching eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands and undergoes temperature checks.
- From Monday, Aug. 9, to Thursday, Aug. 19, on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; on weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Private Bon Services and Toba prayers held an hour apart from other sessions, to follow COVID-19 protocols.
- Call the temple to arrange services, indicating if the elevator is needed (located in the back near Ikoi Hall). Elevator brings people directly to the temple for private O-toba (memorial stick/s) service.
- Your O-toba will be brought to the temple for your private service.
- For now, these private services will be limited to 25 persons; if the situation changes, the limit may be lessened. No one will be allowed in the Social Hall where the O-toba will be displayed; no O-toba offerings will be allowed.
- Chu-toba and chöchin orders
- By Monday, July 19: Send in the form on p. 4 of the July newsletter (jodo.us/julynewsletter) with your orders for chu-toba (only if you are not able to purchase an O-toba) and/or for small chöchin (Japanese lantern) with a check and, if unpaid, current membership dues (gojikai, $60).
Volunteers
- Needed especially from Aug. 9-19.
- Needed on O-toba Set Up Date (Sunday, Aug. 8, 9am) and O-toba Kuzushi or take-down Day (Sunday, Aug. 22, after the final obon service at 10 am).
- Call temple and leave your contact info.
Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii [(808) 531-9088]
- No bon dance.
Sunday, July 18, and through the following week:
- Obon, hatsubon and mantö-e services held in the main hall where mantö-e (lantern festival) lanterns are displayed.
- See betsuin.hhbt-hi.org/ or facebook.com/HigashiHongwanjiMission for updates.
Mililani Hongwanji Buddhist Temple [(808) 625-0925]
Temple monetary donations (choba):
- For drop-off time, mailing address or online submission details, see sites.google.com/view/bondance2021/donations?authuser=0.
- For each donation, a bon towel will be available for pickup at Mililani Hongwanji during item pick-up time on Saturday, Aug. 21.
Monday, June 7-8 a.m.-Saturday, Aug. 7, 5 p.m.:
- Silent auction (see sites.google.com/view/bondance2021/silent-auction?authuser=0for items, instructions and pickup dates).
- For help with bidding or questions, email susanoshiro@hawaii.rr.com.
Sunday, Aug. 15, 7 a.m.:
- Obon service at Mililani-Ewa Hongwanji YouTube channel (youtube.com/channel/UCTGBk1wB6JRp2R7HQuLHTMQ).
Saturday, Aug. 21
10:00 am to 12:00 noon: Item pick-up time, including bon towels from temple donations
Items for sale [varied deadlines]:
Use forms in sites.google.com/view/bondance2021/home, or make checks payable to Mililani Hongwanji and mail to:
Mililani Hongwanji
PO BOX 893308
Mililani, HI 96789
- Regular or cinnamon-sugar andagi ($4/dozen) [Sunday, Aug. 15, deadline]
- Saturday special bento or vegetarian bento ($10/bento) [Sunday, Aug. 15, deadline]
- “Country store” and craft items [check above URL after Tuesday, July 6, for updates]
- Mililani Hongwanji Buddhist Temple facemask, 3 types ($10/mask plus shipping and handling if by mail; choice of pre-order sale, pick-up or mailing)
- 6 p.m.: Virtual bon dance on YouTube channel.
BON DANCE CANCELLATIONS
Note: Many temples that have canceled bon dance are still holding obon-related services, fundraisers and other activities.
The O‘ahu Soto Mission Bon Dance Association, as of Mar. 23, 2021, said it will not hold any in-person bon dance.
OBON CELEBRATION VIDEOS
Kauai Soto Zen Temple
Taiko Kauaʻi playing “Fukushima Ondo” for Obon 2021, which the temple posted on Friday, June 18: Youtube.com/watch?v=RgdK1uTJWo8
- See other 2021-dated obon videos at kauaisotozen.org
- Purchase the temple’s obon items at mailchi.mp/5920516f2d34/kauaisotozen
Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission
On Saturday, June 26, the temple’s bon dance team posted this Virtual Bon dance (click on 9:04 p.m. post) which congregants participated in via Zoom and Facebook Live Stream:
