WAIMEA — Bon, or o-bon, season is a time when spirits of the deceased are welcomed back to the earthly world, and on Friday night at the Waimea Higashi Hongwanji, members of the Kauai Buddhist Council braved unsettled weather conditions
WAIMEA — Bon, or o-bon, season is a time when spirits of the deceased are welcomed back to the earthly world, and on Friday night at the Waimea Higashi Hongwanji, members of the Kauai Buddhist Council braved unsettled weather conditions to herald the start of the 2004 bon season.
Garbed in colorful, bright kimono and yukata, dancers welcome back the spirits during this time of reflection and celebration, to the accompaniment of taiko that start with the setting of the sun.
The din of dance, music, and a sea of spectators congregated at the tiny Waimea church is enhanced by the aroma of toasting bread, and the clickety-click symphony of dozens of flying saucer molds being turned over a battery of gas stoves as food booth patrons patiently wait for their flying-saucer orders to be filled.
Flying saucers, which consist of a hamburger mixture spread between two slices of bread and toasted over a fire, is a unique Kaua‘i offering found primarily at bon dances throughout the summer, and for many, the main attraction for attending the community event.
The interior of the Buddhist church was specially decorated for the event, with many symbols being placed for the primary purpose of helping spirits find their way back to the earthly world during the bon season.
Across the dirt road, a variety store was set up offering an assortment of garage-sale items, among which were several artifacts that were brought in from Japan for the event. These included special masks that are worn during these festive occasions, as well as some kimono.
Members of Taiko Kauai took advantage of the Waimea location to enjoy some post-practice food while waiting for the members of the Kauai Soto Zen Temple Zenshuji taiko group to perform during the intermission.
But, within an hour of starting, the clickety-click symphony subsided, the music came to a halt, and dancers scattered in search of shelter as a passing squall overpowered the festivities, the church’s resident minister, the Rev. Noriaki Fujimori, scampering about making sure everyone had a place out of the rain.
JP Holck, one of the church’s members, took advantage of a break in the showers to climb atop the yagura and pet the head of the teru-teru bozu that had been hung under the bon dance sign specifically to ward off any rain.
That gesture did little to calm the rain gods that started the waterworks again, one church member lamenting, “It was nice all week.
“Why tonight?” she asked as people began leaving the festivities during a break in the rain.
The bon season, hosted by the Kauai Buddhist Council, continues each weekend through mid-August, a different temple from Waimea to Kapa‘a hosting the festivities each Friday and Saturday evening.
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
