The obon was once a somber Japanese religious ceremony. Its purpose was to welcome the spirits of the dead for one night, and entertain them with the bon-dance.

I don't know what it's like in Japan, but in Hawai`i, bon-dancing has become a light-hearted affair. Instead of being held on just one night (traditionally August 15), they are held almost every weekend throughout the summer by various church and community groups. They are celebrations of Japanese culture, and people of all ethnic backgrounds participate. There are food booths, and a sort of carnival atmosphere. Many young people have no idea what the original purpose of the bon-dance was.

In the early '70s, Alvin, a college student, went to a bon-dance at the Mo`ili`ili Community Center with his family. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder, and turned to see a young man, dressed in a happi coat and headband, like many people wear for bon-dancing. "Excuse me, where's your father?" the young man asked.

"He's with my brother, getting some food," Alvin replied. "He'll be back soon."

"I have to go. Just tell your father that Shuzo Nakamura came by."

"Okay," Alvin said, and the man disappeared into the crowd.

When he saw his father a few minutes later, he said, "Shuzo Nakamura said 'hi.'"

"Who?" his father asked.

"Shuzo Nakamura," Alvin repeated, and described the young man he had seen.

"The only Shuzo Nakamura I know died in Italy in 1944," his father said, turning pale. "He's buried in the Japanese graveyard."

Later that evening, Alvin and his father went to visit the grave of his 442nd RTC buddy who had died in WWII. The grave was well-cared for, marked by a polished black granite monument. They said a prayer by the grave. When they raised their heads, they briefly saw a gently smiling face reflected in the shiny surface of the tomb. It was the man Alvin met earlier at the bon dance.