By Yiming Fu, Report for America corps member
Pāʻia’s Mantokuji Soto Mission put on a vibrant Obon festival Saturday night with Japanese food stalls, Taiko drum performances and bon dance. Hundreds of Maui residents poured into the Northern shore town to participate. You can check out our video report here.
Obon is part of a Japanese Buddhist tradition that celebrates deceased loved ones. Family and friends dance, make offerings and share gratitude for the blessings in their lives. This year, temples are dedicating the celebrations to those lost in the Lāhainā fires.
“That was a significant event for all of us, and they’re part of the family of people we remember at this time,” Pāʻia Mantokuji Kyodan President Eric Moto said. It is a celebration of life and their spirits come to visit us, so it’s a time for us to help remember them.”
Lāhainā Hongwanji, Lāhainā Jodo Mission and Lāhainā Shingon lost their temples in last August’s fire. They will put on a special Lahaina Obon festival on Saturday, August 10 to give back to the community and honor those who have recently passed.
Moto said the Obon festival is a big fundraiser for his mission. All the Buddhist temples on Maui collaborate in a Maui Buddhist Council, and they work to raise funds together for the displaced temples.
In Hawaii, Obon season lasts from June through late August or September. Dance groups and friend groups will often go from Obon to Obon to see each other. The Pāʻia Mantokuji’s Obon festival was the island’s fifth, and different temples across the island will host Obon festivals in the following weeks.
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