Workers diligently endeavor to rehabilitate countless historic artifacts salvaged from the Lahaina wildfire catastrophe.
Rebuilding the Lahaina Jodo Mission: Two Years After the Wildfire
Two years have passed since the devastating wildfire that engulfed Lahaina, Maui, and destroyed the historic Lahaina Jodo Mission. The fire, which occurred during a prolonged drought and was fuelled by hurricane-force winds, claimed more than 100 lives, displaced thousands, and left a trail of destruction in its wake, with rebuilding efforts estimated at $5.5 billion.
Despite the devastation, one small stone lizard head found among the ruins gave Ke'eaumoku Kapu the determination to rebuild and continue the mission of the Na 'Aikane o Maui cultural center. The Jodo Mission, founded in 1912, served Maui's large Japanese population, the earliest of whom arrived as sugar laborers.
The Buddha statue, standing at an impressive 12 feet tall and the largest such statue outside Japan, miraculously survived the fire unscathed. However, the pagoda's wooden shelves collapsed in the inferno, sending 187 metal urns housing loved ones' remains to the ground. These urns have since been carefully reorganized and stored on the temple grounds in a storage unit for preservation and memorial services.
Recovery efforts have included memorial services and cultural events to honour those lost and to sustain community spirit. The congregation held prayer and lantern ceremonies to remember ancestors and the four members lost in the blaze. The mission has also hosted the O’Bon festival, an important Japanese Buddhist celebration to honour ancestors, marking the first such event after the wildfire. This festival, centered at the Jodo Mission grounds, serves both as remembrance and a resilience celebration.
Rebuilding plans are in discussion stages. The mission received an offer from a prominent architect in Japan to help rebuild the temple after its destruction, but as of August 2025, the rebuilding process is still in planning rather than construction. On the community and governmental side, Maui County has incorporated wildfire recovery funding aimed at restoring historic properties like Lahaina Jodo Mission as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget, supporting broader efforts for workforce development and survivor aid.
The Lahaina Jodo Mission was not just a place of worship, but also a repository of cultural artifacts. Thousands of cultural artifacts have been uncovered since the fire, including early Native Hawaiian artifacts that predate Western colonial occupation. These recovered objects include a scrimshaw domino set, a tripot for rendering blubber, silver filigree calling-card case, Victorian tooth extractor, antique Chinese coins, ivory mahjong pieces, whaling harpoon cannons, Japanese-style rice bowls, and a "canoe basher".
The National Historic Landmark District was largely established to highlight colonizers, but there is a long-standing movement to restore Lahaina's historic wetlands and the royal island of Moku'ula. Hawaiian cultural monitors have been recruited to officially stand watch over "debris removal" to make sure resources are not disturbed. Restoring Moku'ula and Loko o Mokuhinia as places of "reverence and honor" will be a complex process led by the community.
The curatorial crusade at the Jodo Mission was led by Hawaii's two National Heritage Responders, Malia Van Heukelem and Liane Na'auao. The fire offers an opportunity to redefine Lahaina beyond tourism and cruise ships. For Native Hawaiians, land is not viewed as a commodity but as a living thing, a part of the family. This perspective, combined with the rich cultural heritage uncovered in the aftermath of the wildfire, promises a brighter future for Lahaina, one that honours its past while embracing its present and future.
[1] Hawaii News Now
[2] Maui County
[3] The Garden Island
- Besides serving as a place of worship, the Lahaina Jodo Mission also houses a significant collection of cultural artifacts from different eras and ethnicities, such as early Native Hawaiian artifacts, Japanese-style rice bowls, ivory mahjong pieces, and more.
- The recovery process after the wildfire, which affected the entire Lahaina community, included events like memorial services, cultural events, and festivals, such as the O’Bon festival, to honor those lost and sustain community spirit.
- In the realm of education and self-development, the fire incident has become a learning opportunity for the community, triggering discussions and debates about the importance of preserving historical sites and the cultural heritage they hold.
- In the fashion-and-beauty and food-and-drink sectors, local businesses in Lahaina are responding to the adjusted landscape by creating products and experiences that reflect the resilience and unique charm of the rebuilding community.
- General news outlets like Hawaii News Now and The Garden Island have been reporting on the progress of rebuilding efforts, from the discovery of a small stone lizard head to the offered assistance from a Japanese architect, maintaining public awareness and engagement.
- The sporting community in Lahaina, too, is demonstrating resilience, with teams and athletes collaborating to organize fundraising events and sports tournaments that help support the wildfire recovery efforts and foster a sense of unity among neighbors.
