KAPA‘A — The sights, smells and excitement of the bon dance came to the patients at the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital Thursday evening. With the aid of the hospital’s corps of employees from all departments, the Mahelona Hospital Auxiliary, the
KAPA‘A — The sights, smells and excitement of the bon dance came to the patients at the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital Thursday evening.
With the aid of the hospital’s corps of employees from all departments, the Mahelona Hospital Auxiliary, the Mahelona Hospital Employees Association and numerous community volunteers, the bon dance unfolded in the hospital’s courtyard for those long-term residents who would otherwise not be able to enjoy the traditional festivities, which arrived with the Japanese immigrants more than a hundred years ago.
Rep. Derek Kawakami spent some time with his bedridden cousin before excusing himself to join the dancers in the ring, which has been expanded from previous years, accommodating more dancers.
Josie Pablo, the hospital’s recreation director, said the hospital staff and employees from nursing, recreational therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, dietary, grounds, maintenance and housekeeping all pitch in so the residents have been able to enjoy this part of Hawai‘i heritage for the past 15 years.
Aimee and Arnold Leong amass a collection of volunteers, many of them veterans of the Kaua‘i Hospice “Concert in the Sky” event to crank out flying saucers, a unique culinary offering, which found its roots in Kaua‘i bon dances.
Kenneth, Sylvia and Jaymi Yasutake may have lost some of their crop to feral pigs and deer this year, but replaced the fresh fruit and tropical floral offerings with fresh produce and a chicken salad enough for the good-sized audience, which packed the facility.
Pearl and Gloria Shimizu of the Kaua‘i Japanese Society coordinated the dancers who started the festivities following the unique performances from Taiko Kaua‘i under the direction of Ray Nitta, the Kaua‘i San Shin Club, who made its debut this 2012 bon season under the direction of president Alan Hiranaka and the Men of the Koi Dynasty who made their second appearance following last year’s debut.
In a gesture of longevity of the popular tradition, Pablo said Ace Hardware donated the supplies needed to make the posts supporting the strings of lantern and lights more permanent with cement footings.
As the tradition of attracting visitors, Brian Yamamoto, an instructor at the Kaua‘i Community College, had Matt Ritter, chaperone for a group of 11 students from the California Polytechnic State University from San Louis Obispo, Calif.
“They arrived Sunday for a two-week stay at the college and the National Tropical Botanical Gardens,” Yamamoto said. “This is something outside of their normal study.”
Ritter said the group included students from sophomores through a master’s degree graduate student who have majors relating to agriculture, including soil, ecology, botany, horticulture and biology, and at the urging of some of the hospital staff, the students took the inner ring, trying their hand at bon dance.
The 2012 bon dance season hosted by the Kaua‘i Buddhist Council wrapped up its final bon celebration last week at the West Kaua‘i Hongwanji Waimea Temple.
The final bon dance of the season takes place Friday at the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital from 5 to 10 p.m. and the public is invited to close the season with the offering of bon dance and all the food amenities, which accompany the celebration.
Parking is available at the Waimea Canyon Middle School.
∫ Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
