Your 2026 Guide to O‘ahu Bon Dance Food: Part 1

Bon dances are a treasure of Hawai‘i summers. It’s not just about dancing to live drumming and folk music under warm night skies, but equally—if we’re being honest—to eat. The irony is that as supremely popular as bon dances have become, many in the Islands take place at Buddhist temples that are struggling to stay open.

Those that have closed on O‘ahu include Kahuku Hongwanji in 2013 and, at the end of last year, Wai‘anae Hongwanji. Membership is declining, especially at country temples, and those left to organize bon dances and prepare and sell our favorite dishes are often in their 80s. “We’re getting old. We only have about 29 members and about 6 help out,” says Arnold Yoshioka, the treasurer at ‘Ewa Hongwanji. “Every year we say, Are we still gonna have bon dance? But other churches come and help us out.

“The insurance since the Lahaina fires takes most of what we earn from bon dance. So I think we’re in the negative,” Yoshioka says, “but it’s traditional, and this is our 125^th anniversary.”

So please appreciate the fried noodles, chili bowls, teri burgers, barbecue beef sticks and shave ice that temples sell as refreshment. Understand that food trucks you increasingly see at bon dances are professionals called in to help when congregations don’t have enough hands. And special props to the temples that make it a point to keep alive foods of nostalgia, the ones disappearing from home kitchens, like chicken hekka and tsukemono and makizushi.

Photo: Courtesy of Windward Buddhist Temple

As for the meaning behind bon dances, which originated in Japan centuries ago, they’re tied to bon season in August, when spirits of the departed come back to visit. Lit by cheery lanterns, people dance to lively flute and drum music played from a central tower, or yagura, so their loved ones can see that they’re well. In plantation days, sorrowful tunes about homesickness and backbreaking labor entered the local play list; now there are newer songs like Pokemon Ondo. If you lost a loved one in the last year, it’s especially important to dance this season—this is their hatsubon, or first bon, and your chance to reassure their spirits.

Here are the food menus of every bon dance through July 18 whose organizers we were able to contact. Some temples will have additional food trucks; we’ve focused mainly on items that temple members are cooking. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our bon dance eats guide, coming up next month.

SEE ALSO: O‘ahu Bon Dance Schedule 2026

June 20: ‘Ewa Hongwanji Mission

Where: 91-1133 Renton Road, ‘Ewa Beach
When: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Contact: 808-681-5222
Info: sites.google.com/view/ewa-buddhist-temple/home, @EwaHongwanji
Grinds: Tamura’s Market bentos with furikake rice, Spam, hot dog, fried chicken and more; fried noodles, chili rice bowl, teri burger, hot dogs, andagi by Da Andagi Guy, drinks; plus Kona Ice truck

June 26 & 27: Honpa Hongwanji Hawai‘i Betsuin

Where: 1727 Pali Highway, Punchbowl
When: 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Contact: 808-536-7044
Info: hawaiibetsuin.org, @hawaiibetsuin
Grinds: Teri burger, saimin, chili rice bowl, BBQ stick plate, soybeans, chili cheese nachos, Spam musubi, KC Drive Inn waffle dogs, baked goods, shave ice, fried noodles (Saturday only), fresh andagi (Saturday only)

Photo: Courtesy of Mō‘ili‘ili Summer Fest

July 4: Mō‘ili‘ili Summer Fest

Where: Old Varsity Building Parking Lot, 1100 University Ave., Mō‘ili‘ili
When: 5 to 10 p.m.
Info: moiliilisummerfest.org, @moiliilifest
Grinds: By Mō‘ili‘ili Hongwanji: beef stew, chow fun, Spam musubi, Goteburg musubi, teri burger, Aloha Tofu yudofu, natto cups, saimin, mochi, andagi. Plus assorted food trucks

July 4: Waipahu Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

Where: 94-821 Kuhaulua St., Waipahu
When: 7 to 10 p.m.
Contact: 808-677-4221
Info: waipahuhongwanji.org, @waipahutemplesangha
Grinds: Beef stew, orange chicken, yakitori sticks, fried noodles, shave ice

July 10 & 11: Hale‘iwa Shingon Mission

Where: 66-469 Pa‘ala‘a Road, Hale‘iwa
When: 6:45 to 9:45 p.m.
Contact: 808-637-4423
Grinds: Teri beef burger deluxe, saimin with homemade dashi and Young’s Noodle Factory noodles, cold somen with homemade dashi, hot dog, chili rice, assorted musubi combos, one-day-marinated BBQ beef sticks, mini BBQ plate with Grandma Matsunaga’s special pickles, shave ice, drinks, homemade baked goods, cone sushi, bento, makizushi, andagi, Aoki’s Ice Cakes

July 10 & 11: Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Church of Hawai‘i

Where: 2280 Auhuhu St., Pearl City
When: 6 to 9 p.m.
Contact: 808-455-3212
Info: rkhawaii.org, @rkkhawaii
Grinds: We couldn’t get through by phone; we’re waiting for a response to our email request.

Photo: Mari Taketa

July 10 & 11: Koboji Shingon Mission

Where: 1223-B North School St., Liliha-Kapālama
When: 5:30 p.m.
Contact: 808-841-7033
Info: koboji.org, @kobojishingonmission
Grinds: Teri chicken plate, Local Boy Stew Bowl made by Harold and Verna Mikaru from a famous long-ago Kalihi restaurant’s recipe, chili rice bowl made by the Kajiwara family for 60 years, yakisoba, teri burger, andagi, shave ice

July 10 & 11: Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawai‘i

Where: 1685 Alaneo St., Liliha-Kapālama
When: Food booths open at 5:30, opening ceremony at 6:30, dancing 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Contact: 808-531-9088
Info: betsuin.hhbt-hi.org, @higashihongwanjihawaii
Grinds: Yakisoba with or without BBQ meat from Ty’s BBQ & Grill, shave ice and other desserts from Shimazu Shave Ice, hot ramen and take-home noodle bowls from Nabeya Maido, freshly fried croquettes from Just Fried Croquettes by Ramen Spot Beach, fresh andagi by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko, Spam musubi (Friday only), chili rice (Saturday only), drinks

Photo: Courtesy of Windward Buddhist Temple

July 11: Windward Buddhist Temple

Where: 268A Ku‘ulei Road, Kailua
When: 7 to 10 p.m.
Contact: 808-262-4560
Info: windwardbuddhisttemple.org, @windwardbuddhisttemple
Grinds: Fresh andagi, chili dog, chili bowl, saimin, Spam musubi, shave ice, drinks and dinner plate with grilled teriyaki meat sticks, hot dog, tsukemono, potato-mac salad and rice. Country store: assorted homemade manju with fillings like coconut and apple, nantu, homemade baked goods, homemade takuan, bitter melon namasu

Chicken hekka. Photo: Courtesy of Wahiawā Ryusenji-Soto Mission

July 17 & 18: Wahiawā Ryusenji-Soto Mission

Where: 164 California Ave., Wahiawā
When: 7 to 10 p.m.
Contact: 808-622-1429
Grinds: Chicken hekka, teriyaki chicken, bento, hamburger curry bowl, chili bowl, S&S saimin, fried noodles, barbecue teri hamburger, shave ice, makizushi, fresh andagi

July 17 & 18: Shinshu Kyokai Mission

Where: 1631 S. Beretania St., Mō‘ili‘ili
When: 7 to 10 p.m.
Contact: 808-973-0150
Info: shinshukyokai.org, @SKM.Hawaii
Grinds: A temple volunteer will get back to us; we’ll publish the menu then.

July 17 & 18: Hale‘iwa Jodo Mission

Where: 66-279 Hale‘iwa Road A, Hale‘iwa
When: 7 to 10 p.m.
Contact: 808-637-4382
Info: hawaiijodo.net
Grinds: Bento, makizushi, teri burgers, hot dogs, andagi, Aoki’s Ice Cakes

July 18: Jikoen Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

Where: 1731 N. School St., Kalihi
When: 5 p.m.
Contact: 808-845-3422
Info: jikoenhongwanji.org
Grinds: Freshly grilled barbecue mini plate, fried noodles, saimin, teri burger, fresh andagi, shave ice, sweet potato-haupia pie, KC Drive Inn waffle dogs, Ige’s Halawa makizushi, kandabaa juushi or sweet potato leaves over rice, Uchinaa Okinawan soba, rafutee slow-cooked pork

Mari Taketa is editor of Frolic Hawai‘i and dining editor of HONOLULU Magazine.