The 2013 Pearl City Hongwanji Obon Festival was held on Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10 on the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission grounds. I got a chance to take in the celebration on Saturday and enjoyed every minute spent during the annual Bon Dance portion of the festival.
Pearl City Hongwanji Minister, Reverend Mariko Nishiyama opened the evening with a blessing and also greeted Pearl City residents and visitors with a very warm welcome. Reverend Nishiyama's blessing continued the Buddhist tradition of honoring those who have passed on during the year as well as a time to reflect on our own lives.
It was really nice to see multi generations of Pearl City families, representing many different ethnicities, enjoying the beauty of the Japanese cultural together under the stars at the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission.
Everybody also had the opportunity to enjoy a great selection of food and drinks at the food concession stand that offered plate lunches, bentos, hamburgers, musubi, chili, shave ice, and cold drinks. Special treats from the Andagi Guy and Paradise Kettle Corn were on sale as well. If you arrived at the Bon Dance hungry, you certainly didn't go home hungry.
Proceeds from the food sales each year goes towards the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission Scholarship Program that supports area students with their educational needs.
Mahalo to the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission for their hard work in support of our Pearl City community through the years.
The Pearl City Hongwanji Mission is a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temple that has been serving the Pearl City community since 1905. A family service is conducted at the Temple most Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
To learn about the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission log on to their web site at: www.pearlcityhongwanji.com.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Reverend Nishiyama delivers a very warm welcome to Pearl City residents and visitors to open Saturday
night's Bon Dance.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Reverend Nishiyama receives a big hug from one of the younger Pearl City residents who participated
in the Bon Dance on Saturday night.