KAPAIA — These might be the last ones being done on Kaua‘i. Faced with an aging membership and the lack of younger members coming out, the silk screening of bon dance towels is just another of the traditional practices that
KAPAIA — These might be the last ones being done on Kaua‘i.
Faced with an aging membership and the lack of younger members coming out, the silk screening of bon dance towels is just another of the traditional practices that are victims of change.
“I think Lihu‘e Hongwanji is the last of the churches on Kaua‘i that still do the silk screening,” Marian Ogata, one of the volunteers, said Saturday. “All the other churches have gone to Japan to order their towels, since they don’t have the manpower anymore.”
Ted Inouye, chairman of the Lihu‘e Hongwanji Mission’s annual bon dance, knows that in order to get the towels done on time, the church needs to start early.
Inouye said the Lihu‘e Hongwanji Mission will be celebrating its bon dance during the June 13-14 weekend, but before the bon dance arrives, the church is also planning a fresh corn sale as a fund-raiser.
Last year, the fresh corn sale was supposed to coincide with the church’s bon dance, but Mother Nature threw a wrench in the works; the weather prevented the corn from being ready when the bon dance was scheduled.
That resulted in church members having to exert extra energy to salvage the event which, despite its tardiness, was considered a success, Inouye said.
“This year, we’re doing the fresh corn sale, early,” Inouye said. “Right now, we’re looking at the end of April and early May for the corn which will be available for pickup at both the Wal-Mart and Big Kmart stores.”
That would leave the members with about a month to prepare for the annual bon dance, the second for the 2008 season on Kaua‘i.
The first bon dance, hosted by the Kaua‘i Buddhist Council, will be held at the West Kaua‘i Hongwanji, Hanapepe Temple on June 6-7.
Ogata said the silk screening of the towels involves a lot of people.
The church members are organized into groups with each group handling a certain day. Last week, a group started the process and screened about 400 towels.
Ogata said the process starts when ladies iron out pieces of cloth in preparation for silk screening which is handled by Morton Yamasaki, the screen operator.
Once the towel has been “adhesived” into place, Yamasaki lays down the screen and applies the ink before moving the assembly to the next towel.
As he moves to the next towel, the screened towel is removed to one of several clotheslines to dry inside the church’s social hall.
The drying takes overnight, and on Sunday, another group of volunteers remove the towels from the lines, iron and fold them in preparation for distribution.
Ogata said the design was created by one of the church’s Sunday School students and centers around the tossing of plastic eggs containing candy and other premiums during the bon dance intermission. This is done by people who share the same Oriental zodiac as the year being celebrated.
This year is the Year of the Rat, so the church will select several members born in the Year to the Rat to do this popular event.
Traditionally, the bon dance towel is an important accessory for dancers.
It serves to identify the church, but more importantly, is a part of several of the dances which take place.
“But it’s getting harder to do,” Inouye said.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
