On the night of August 8, the rain at Hāmākua Jodo Mission came down hard enough to move the Obon Festival indoors. Guests and volunteers cleared the chairs out of the temple, and the Bon Dance started inside with Taishoji Taiko on the drums. When the rain eased, dancers went down the stairs to the yagura in the yard. When it came back, they went back inside. Then out again.
At one point, according to the Mission's August 2026 newsletter, half the dancers were out in the rain and the rest were under cover in the temple, so "two Bon Dances were essentially happening at the same time." The dance ran past 9 p.m. The newsletter calls the indoor Bon Dance the first in decades.
The temple is on Kalōpā Road in Pāʻauhau Mauka, and it has scheduled a second chance. On Sunday, November 1, Japanese Cultural Heritage Day brings a mini-bon dance back to the grounds. The Mission's own post says it's there "for those who missed our Obon Festival this year due to the rain." In most years this would be a pleasant fall add-on. This year it's the season's other half, and it works best as a two-day outing: Saturday at the Honokaʻa Heritage Center on Māmane Street, Sunday at the temple.
What's set for Sunday, November 1
The Honokaʻa Heritage Center's events page lists the day as a partnership with Hāmākua Jodo Mission. It runs Sunday, November 1, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with workshops, historic tours, presentations, performances, a mini-bon dance, "and much more." It is free and open to the public.
| Detail | What's listed |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, November 1, 2026 |
| Hours | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Place | Hāmākua Jodo Mission, 44-2947 Kalōpā Road, Pāʻauhau Mauka |
| Cost | Free, open to the public |
| On the program | Workshops, historic tours, presentations, performances, mini-bon dance |
| Added October 13 | Book signing by Brandi-Ann Uyemura, author of I Am a Bon Dancer |
The book signing went up on the Mission's news page on October 13. Uyemura will sign copies of her children's book from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and copies will be for sale at the event. A picture book about bon dancing fits a day built around a make-up bon dance, and families with young kids may want to come early for it.
Both organizations point readers to a posted flyer for the hour-by-hour schedule. Check it before you go so you can time your visit to the activity you care most about.
Last year's lineup shows what the day can hold
The Mission called its November 1, 2025 event its first-ever Japanese Cultural Heritage Day. The Mission's November 2025 newsletter recapped the day. The list below is the 2025 program. It shows how the first year was built, not who will be there this year.
- A temple and cemetery tour, then a bonsai demonstration in the dining hall
- An aikido presentation in the temple by Lillian Paiva of the Honokaa Ki Aikido Dojo
- An origami class in the dining hall taught by Kachina Nishida of Epic Origami, plus origami sculptures by Shannon Nakaya of Origami Dog Hawaii in the glass display case all day
- A kimono dressing demonstration by Yoshiko Miyashiro, which led into the mini bon dance on the front lawn with the Honokaa Hongwanji Taiko group and their sensei, Keith Nomura
- Kingyo sukui fish scooping, a design-your-own uchiwa fan station, a bubble zone, and educational displays
- Vintage kimono, nihonga paintings, and lacquerware from Berni Botelho of the Honokaa Hongwanji's Da Basement Store
- Food from Desiree of the Takoyatea food truck
The same recap describes the lawn dance as an "extra" dance after bon dance season, and the Honokaa Hongwanji Taiko Club closed the day with a taiko performance. This year, the mini-bon dance gives back the outdoor dance that August's weather took away.
Why this year's version carries more weight
The temple's fall has been shaped by weather. On September 2, the Mission posted a safety note as Hurricanes Lowell and Karina approached the islands. It closed the temple on Saturday, September 26 ahead of Hurricane Nolo, and kept it closed the next day because of continued high winds and soggy ground. Earlier, it had checked in with the community after Hurricane Lala.
The Obon itself went ahead in August, and the newsletter sums it up in one line:
"If there was one message this year's Obon reminded us of, it was this: rain or shine, we show up."
That night still had its full program. The gravesite service went ahead in the rain, and the Hatsubon service moved inside and onto the veranda. The food trucks were Lowline Cattle Company, Ohana Bakery & Cafe, Thai Nong Khai Express, and Takoyatea. Door prizes donated by KTA Super Stores, Hamakua Living, Beach Dog Books, and Punahele Jerky Company were given out at intermission, just as another downpour arrived.
Many people who meant to dance in August stayed home or left early. The Mission said as much when it announced the November mini-bon dance. Sunday, November 1, is a daytime event on the same grounds, twelve weeks later.
Saturday on Māmane Street, Sunday on Kalōpā Road
The Honokaʻa Heritage Center is the event's co-host, but you can't fold it into Sunday. The center is at 45-3490 Māmane St., Suite C, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Sundays and Mondays. Its doors will be shut on the day of the event.
Saturday, October 31, is the day that works. The center's exhibits cover Honokaʻa's plantation-era history, immigrant communities, ranching and paniolo history, and life in the plantation camps. Smaller displays focus on Japanese immigrants, Waipiʻo Valley, sugar, and Camp Tarawa. After an hour with the Japanese immigrant display on Saturday, Sunday's temple tours and kimono dressing will mean more than they would cold.
The building has its own history. The center started in 2011 as a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo satellite-campus center, became a nonprofit, and in summer 2021 moved into Honokaʻa's historic Botelho Building. It now houses an archive, a visitor center, and a gift shop.
A simple order for the weekend:
- Saturday, October 31, any time between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Visit the Heritage Center on Māmane Street, starting with the Japanese immigrant and plantation camp displays.
- Sunday, November 1, 10 a.m. Drive up Kalōpā Road to the temple at 44-2947 for the opening hour, when the posted flyer's first activities begin.
- Sunday, by 2 p.m. Stay for the mini-bon dance and pick up a signed copy of I Am a Bon Dancer before the day ends.
One stop in a longer series
Japanese Cultural Heritage Day is part of a run of events. The Heritage Center describes its Filipino Heritage Day on October 18 as part of "our ongoing cultural heritage series, showcasing the diversity of our community." That day was billed with a Visayan dance performance, traditional Filipino desserts, music, and activities. With October 18 behind us, the Japanese day is the next one in the series.
The Honokaa Business Association calendar lists more town dates through November and into early December, including November 14, two events on November 21, and December 6.
Wear shoes you can dance in, bring cash for the book table, and check the Mission's news page on Saturday night for any weather notice. The Mission has posted those all season.
Nate Gaddis and the Wai Pacific team love Hāmākua's calendar of temple dances, heritage days, and Māmane Street afternoons. If your plans in Honokaʻa reach past this weekend, we're happy to talk them through with you. Start Your Island Real Estate Experience.
