Bon Dance Panel 3 - The Resurrection of Bon Dance After the War

When the Pacific War broke out, cultural activities by the Japanese immigrants were banned. No more bon dances.

It wasn't until the summer of 1947 when a bon dance was finally held again. It was a fundraiser for a war memorial.

In 1948, bon dances saw a full-fledged ressurrection. In 1951, the biggest bon dance was not at a Buddhist temple, but at Ala Moana Park in Honolulu. It was held jointly by nisei veterans clubs (100th Infantry Battalion Veterans, 442nd Veterans Club, MIS Veterans Club, and 1399th Veterans Club). The postwar bon dances were held to memorialize the war dead.

Panel photo: Top photo is a July 1947 Hawai’i Hochi newspaper ad for a bon dance to raise funds to build a memorial. Bottom photo is a Hawai’i Hochi newspaper article about the 1951 bon dance held jointly by nisei veterans clubs. Headline says there were 2,000 dancers and 30,000 spectators.