Koganji Temple Bon Dance 2019

My favorite local bon dance is at Koganji Temple in Manoa. Three years ago, just a few months after moving to Manoa, I noticed the sign on Oahu Ave. announcing that the dance was coming in a few weeks. I'd heard of bon dancing but had never attended one until that night three years ago. As I walked the half block to the entrance, I noticed that cars were everywhere and a large crowd was walking toward the temple. When I walked up to the railing overlooking the bon dance, I was stunned by the lights of the Japanese lanterns, the smell of meat grilling, the sounds of drums and singing, and the sight of hundreds of people dancing. I ran all the way back home to get my camera and told my family to get ready and come back with me. My son-in-law was ready to go to bed and decided to come over in his pajamas. No one seemed to notice. I've enjoyed the bon dance at Koganji Temple every year since then and have loved taking pictures there.