Aloha, I'm Donna, known everywhere on the Internet as "Champuru." I'm a Christian, blissfully wedded to my perfect match (the yang to my yin) of 16 years and a stay-at-home mom to my miracle baby, born in October 2008. Living life in Hawaii, less than 5 miles from my hometown, seeking balance in my pursuit of family, faith, recreation, and rest. Read more on the About page.
Bon dance season is fast approaching an end and one of the bon dances that I look forward to each summer is held at the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission (858 2nd Street, Pearl City Hawaii).
Many people recognize this temple as the one that you can see from the freeway heading West. The mission runs a 7-day adult day care service and also holds Judo classes in its building. This may sound strange, but one of my favorite features of this bon dance is the beautiful grassy area fronting the small temple. The grass is well maintained and is the perfect place for our little ones to stretch their legs or sprawl out.
Pearl City Hongwanji bon dance
Another reason that I enjoy the Pearl City Hongwanji bon dance so much is that they feature the talents of the Young Okinawans of Hawaii (YOH). Their lively eisaa drumming has moved back to the traditional style with lots of arm motions, bending and jumping. Hard on the drummers, but great to watch!
Part of the bon dance posse (Joyce, Mom, me, Lil K, and Joni)
This year’s bon dance was well-attended — in general, as well as by the bon dance posse. The more, the merrier and tonight was certainly the case.
The lovely Doreen and Aileen
Doreen and Aileen got dressed up in their gorgeous yukata tonight. They are such an inspiration in their dedication to the art and tradition of obon dancing.
Mike
I was hoping to get a photo of Mike with one of his fabulous watercolor paintings. Maybe next time!
Shari and D joined us tonight — it was so good to see the both of them, as we don’t see them often enough.
D and Shari
And the night would not be complete unless we got a photo of Kamu — pointing! This picture is my favorite of the night.
Kamu -- pointing!
Such an awesomely fun evening. Get out there and find a bon dance to attend before the summer is over!
Today, we ventured to beautiful Manoa to attend the Koganji Temple bon dance. It was my first time at this particular bon dance and I was impressed by the gorgeous architecture of the building, the scenic backdrop, the great setup they had for concessions, and how smoothly they ran the program. Another notable difference is that they have a live taiko drummer accompanying the recorded music. It adds feeling, bringing extra energy to the music.
The only downside to the bon dance is the parking. Parking is available on-street on Oahu Avenue and we ended up walking quite far. There are also some stairs and inclines to contend with to get to the bon dance area. Although it’s fine for any able-bodied individual to handle, it would be more challenging for the elderly or physically-challenged. I’m sure they have accommodations for wheelchair access, but I didn’t inquire.
Overlooking the courtyard, bon dance circle, and concessions
We arrived just as the bon dance started at 5:30 pm, which is quite early as generally most bon dances don’t start until 6:30 or 7 pm. The grounds were already teeming with people and seating was hard to come by. Luckily, we brought our own chairs but the difficult part was finding somewhere to put them. We found a spot in the back row, fronting the food booths.
The bon dance circle is relatively small, but nicely paved.They had a designated entrance/exit into the circle, which is such a great idea, as so often people stand/sit completely around the circle which makes it hard to squeeze through.
There was an energizing taiko performance during intermission at 8:30 pm by Ryusei Taiko.
The donation/accessories booth was selling bon dance towels, yukata, fans, taiko sticks, omamori, and various glow toys for the kids.
The food booths had some great offerings: plate lunch (beef stew, sweet sour spareribs, or mixed plate), yakisoba, shave ice, mochi, grilled teriyaki corn, teri burgers, kimono dogs (hotdogs deep fried in andagi batter), andagi, and a country store selling ice cream cups and a plethora of baked goods. And, the food was GOOD!
Somewhere over the bon dance rainbow
Of course, Manoa being Manoa, it rained — but only briefly. And with the rain, there are rainbows.
It was an enjoyable evening at Koganji Temple. The bon dance is two nights: Friday and Saturday, so if you missed it on Friday, you still have a chance to catch it tonight.
The Jikoen Hongwanji bon dance is one of the most highly anticipated bon dances on my summer calendar. I especially enjoy the Friday night obon, since the Young Okinawans of Hawaii (YOH) take over the entire program and it’s an all-Okinawan dancing extravaganza. Jikoen is known as the Okinawan temple, as it is a has been a key location for Okinawan activities and events since its establishment in 1938 by issei (first generation) Okinawan immigrants.
Lil K and Aunty Joni
There was a great turnout tonight, not just with our Bon Dance Posse, but the general public showed up in droves and the bon dance circle was packed for most of the evening. YOH did an excellent job providing the music, dancers, and eisaa drummers.
Lil K and Aunty Joyce
Lil K is doing so much better this year than last when it comes to socializing with friends and family. I was even able to get some dancing in as we played hot potato with Lil K, passing her from friend to friend as we made our way around the bon dance circle. Carrying an extra 22 pounds while dancing can prove to be quite strenuous, so everyone mostly held her for two songs and passed her on to the next person. Lil K didn’t seem to mind and enjoyed the company of her aunties tonight.
Lil K having a blast with Aunty Rona
It was a beautiful summer evening, spending time with friends and family outdoors under the full moon, listening to the beating of the eisaa drums, and the plunk-plunking of the sanshin. It refreshes my spirit.
Lil K and Jiji
My mom and I
Lil K and me
Shari and Darren
Avid Bon Dancers
Keith introduced me to the Uyehara twins, two very spirited ladies full of personality and spunk! Their chairs were situated in the front row and I loved passing by them each time I made my way around the yagura. They looked like they were enjoying themselves so much, clapping along to the music and observing dancers as they went by.
Keith and the Uechi twins
To cap off the evening, Sophie and I entered the kachashii contest on a whim. Sophie, hailing from Ohio, had never heard of kachashii much less danced it, so I took her up to where the action was and we ended up jumping into the contest. Talk about spontaneous!
Sophie and I were contestants in the kachashii contest (pic taken with my iPhone)
Needless to say, we didn’t win, but it was fun nonetheless. Here’s a video of us dancing, although the quality is very poor since it was taken with my iPhone with dim lighting so the camera couldn’t figure out what to focus on.
Lil K had so much fun and was wide awake throughout the entire night and we ended up staying until the end (9:45 pm). Normally, we leave by 8:00 or 8:30 since Lil K is usually beginning to show signs of impending meltdown by that time. But tonight she was lively and completely engaged in the event. She fell asleep in the car without much drama at all, which is just the way I like it.
Thank you, loved ones, for making tonight such a fantastic time for us.
Rissho Kosei Kai (RKK) in Pacific Palisades is one of my favorite bon dances of the season. It seems that every year it rains on the weekend of the RKK bon dance at least one of the two nights. Tonight was no exception. Armed with three umbrellas and bon dance towels for our heads, we braved the weather to enjoy delicious food, great music and dancing, and of course, awesome friends.
I really wanted to take a group photo of our bon dance posse, but I was reluctant to take out my DSLR in the wet conditions. We had a good turnout today, having the following friends in attendance: Mike, Doreen, Aileen, Shari, Darren, Joyce & family, Kris, Kamu, Lucy, Ryan S., Ryan L. & family, Sophie, and of course, Baban and Jiji (my parents), Lil K, and myself. We even had a few Twitter friends stop by to say hello!
Lil K is really starting to open up with others, allowing Shari and Ryan S. to carry her as we made our rounds in the bon dance circle tonight. It’s also wonderful to see her enjoying the music and dancing!
These are the only photos I took at the Honpa Hongwanji bon dance on Friday night. In the photo above you can see the dark clouds looming ominously above the temple. Soon after, those clouds brought light sprinkles — then a heavier rain that sent people running for cover and leaving the rest of us feeling more than a little soggy. The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the dancers and the bon dance circle remained packed throughout the evening.
Despite the wet weather, we had a nice time, having met old and new friends there. And of course, enjoying the food.
Here’s hoping to drier conditions at next week’s bon dances!
It was like Christmas at the Champuru house today. Our shipment of Dancing Fools bon dance posse apparel arrived via UPS. A day earlier than expected — and just in time for this weekend’s bon dance!
The logo is based loosely on the 3-teardrop flag of the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa), depicting 3 dancers in kimono, dancing in the bon dance circle.
The name “Dancing Fools” comes from a Japanese proverb that states,
“We’re fools whether we dance or not,
so we might as well dance.”
We found that particularly appropriate for our group and started calling ourselves the “dancing fools.” I also created a Facebook fan page for our group this year, and quite by accident, our group has grown to 68 fans — which is amazing if you consider that our actual “posse” numbers less than a dozen. Since it has become more public rather than exclusive to our group, the page has become a venue for general bon dance information in Hawaii. So, if you’re interested in bon dances in Hawaii, please join our fan page and participate by uploading your photos, sharing your stories, or starting some discussions.
Now only if we can find a vendor to make us some custom happi coats at a reasonable cost. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you probably know what a big (I mean, HUGE) bon dance fanatic I am. When summer rolls around, my Friday and Saturday nights are spoken for and you will likely find me at one of the many temples across the island attending a bon dance.
Lil K and I dancing at the bon dance
Granted, I’m not Buddhist. In fact, I am a Christian. (I am quite sure that I wrote about this at some point in the past, but when doing a search for the term “bon dance” on my site, it returns 10+ pages of results and I don’t feel like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack right now.) Okinawan culture has been an integral part of my life since, well, forever. I had issue with attending bon dances in the past, wondering if attending a Buddhist festivity would offend my Christian beliefs. Or vice versa. I was so concerned about this that I phoned my pastor at the time and asked for his opinion. He basically told me that it was all a matter of my intention or motivation for attending the event. If I was going to a bon dance purely for the cultural and community experience, that is fine — in fact, he himself also has attended bon dances in the past. My participation in bon dances is not for the religious aspect, but for the cultural experience.
Bon Dancing - Joyce carries Lil K as they dance around the yagura
Culture is very important to me. My heritage is a large part of my identity. Growing up, my mother made sure I knew my roots and that I was proud of them. (Uchinanchu pride!) I want culture to play an equally significant role in the life of my daughter, and exposing her to cultural events such as bon dances is part of that effort.
Lil K (right) and friend (left) - this baby was 17 months old
So, we don hapi coats and pack up the family for summer evenings filled with music and dancing, illuminated by the light of ubiquitous chochin lanterns.
Lil K made friends at the bon dance
It’s also a time for Lil K to get out and interact with other people, young and old alike. At the Plantation Village bon dance this year, Lil K found a family of 3 children (2 boys and a 3-year-old girl) who allowed her to join their game of chase. She jumped right in and started running after the other kids, despite not really understanding the concept of the game — but having a grand old time anyway. When the music started, Lil K and the girl started dancing together. After running and dancing to their heart’s content, they settled down and sat down on a big, blue blanket and played some more. It was just precious. Lil K would have stayed with the children all night if I had allowed it, but our bento dinner was waiting and there was dancing to do — so we bid them a fond farewell. I love watching Lil K stretching her social skills and interacting with other children.
Aileen, Joyce and Lil K
Lil K had been prone to stranger anxiety when she was younger, but she finally seems to be growing out of it. She’s still a little leery of adults, especially men, but once she warms up, she will likely indulge you in a few minutes of carry time if you’re lucky. I was happy to see her allowing Joyce to carry her through several laps around the bon dance circle. Thankfully, she also allowed Shari to carry her so I could take a bathroom break. Last year, Joni was one of the few friends that was able to carry Lil K without being subjected to a major meltdown.
Shari, me, Lil K, and Kamu
Bon dance season also brings our friends together more frequently. We probably see each other more times during the three month bon dance season than the rest of the year combined. Bon dances provide us with a wonderful environment (music, dancing, and food!) and an excuse to hang out. Not that we need an excuse, but with everyone’s busy schedules sometimes we do.
Joyce, Lil K and Kris
So yes, there will be tons of bon dance blog entries and photos this summer. Thus, the reason why I changed my banner image. I’m sure my blog is probably the only bon dancing mommy blog out there.
And if you’re interested in learning more about bon dances or attending one, please check out my newly launched site at bondance.com. I wasn’t lying when I said I was a bon dance fanatic.
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