Mantokuji O-Bon Festival 3-10pm July 11/26 in Paia
Mantokuji is happy to announce our O-Bon Festival on Saturday, July 11th. Please join us for this joyous event! Come early for the performances and good food! Parking is also available across the street at the Paia Community Center and the Paia Hawaiian Protestant Church. We hope you will be able to join us for this festive occasion when we welcome back our ancestors as they temporarily return to visit their families during the O-Bon season. Below is the schedule of events for our O-Bon Festival:
- 3:00 pm Graveyard Service
- 5:30 pm Food Concession opens
- 6:00 pm Zenshin Daiko performance
- 6:30 pm Maui Taiko performance
- 7:00 pm Reverend Tomoki Hirasawa will perform a short blessing service at the yagura
- 7:15 pm Bon Dance
Reverend Hirasawa's Message
Aloha, everyone. It’s time for the Obon Festival again this year! Mantokuji’s Obon this year will open on the 10th with a services starting at 6:00 p.m. Then on the 11th, there will be a graveyard service at 3 p.m. and the food concessions will open at 5:30 p.m. Taiko performances by Zenshin Daiko and Maui Taiko will commence at 6 p.m. followed by the Bon dance at 7 p.m.
At the Friday night service, we will offer prayers for our families and ancestors who have returned to us during Obon time, especially our loved ones who have passed away during the past year and are marking their first Bon or Hatsubon. On Saturday night, the old Japanese traditional Bon dance, is held to welcome back and send up the spirits of family members and ancestors who have returned. Enjoy the sounds of taiko drums and Bon Odori dancing while savoring Mantokuji's special foods.
On a personal note, my daughter turned one year old in June. Last obon she was still a newborn and could only go outside for a little while. Now she is starting to stand up and will soon start walking. It is amazing how fast babies grow during their first year. I am so grateful to the members of the temple and many others who loved and helped her through this developmental first year. Living with her, I have learned how much time my parents must have devoted to me and how carefully they watched over me as they raised me. And each one of us exists thanks to the many generations that have repeated this process. My daughter’s growth made me realize once again how much respect and gratitude I have for my ancestors who have allowed me to exist now. So, I offer gratitude and celebrate them at obon.
Finally, I really appreciate everyone’s help during the busiest season of the year. Obon is made possible by the many volunteer workers. If you have time, please join us to make the Obon Festival at Mantokuji a success. I look forward to seeing many of you at Mantokuji soon.
Mahalo. In gassho. -- Tomoki Hirasawa
Date: Saturday, July 11th, 2026
Time: 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: Free
Categories: Church / Spiritual, Cultural / Ethnic, Dancing
Mantokuji Zen Mission of Paia located at 253 Hana Hwy across from Paia Community Center, Paia, HI 96779 in North Maui
Phone: 808-579-8051 Email: info@paiamantokuji.org Website: www.paiamantokuji.org
Our Mission: Paia Mantokuji is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple founded in 1906 by a community of Japanese
immigrants. Our mission is to be a place of compassion, respect, and kindness for all who seek truth
through the teachings of Buddha, the practice of Zen meditation and arts, and the fellowship of the temple sangha.
Contact: Carol Murayama Phone: 808-579-8051
Email: Website: https://www.paiamantokuji.com
