It's always a pleasure to see Randy Magnus show up at our local Obon festivals with cameras in hand and a cheerful smile on his face . Because Randy has been documenting these festivals for many years, the dancers and drummers have come to appreciate his presence, knowing that their treasured events will be captured on camera, shared with the community, and preserved for future generations.

I hope you will enjoy the precious moments captured in these images and the Japanese Buddhist culture they represent. We honor our departed loved ones, those who have recently passed on, as well as our amilial and spiritual ancestors throughout space and time, remembering that our lives are intertwined with theirs.

Through costume, dance, music, food, and ritual, the Bon Dances keep Japanese Buddhist culture in Hawaii vibrant and alive.

I trust you will see all of this and more in these telling photographs by our local photographer, artist, documenter, and friend, Randy Magnus.

With palms together in gassho,
Rev. Jiko Nakade
Daifukuji Soto Mission