Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu
V O L U M EI V

M A R C H

2 0 0 8Where ancient traditions thrive

14th Annual Honolulu Festival - March 15 and 16
The word matsuri can refer toany occasion for offering thanks andpraise to a kami at a shrine. It comesfrom a word meaning 'to entertain' or'to serve'. Matsuri is also used to referto Shinto festivals.
Shinto festivals generally combine solemn rituals with joyful celebration, and these celebrations can include
drunken and loud behavior.
To western eyes the combination of extreme solemnity and vulgar
revelry can seem irreverent, but themix of very different moods is an important feature that may encapsulate
the intimate relationship that Shinto
has with the world as it really exists.
Festivals center on a particularkami, who are treated as the guests ofhonor at the event. The celebrations arevery physical events, and may include
processions, dramatic performances,sumo wrestling, and feasting.

They are bright, colorful, loud,aromatic with the smells of food, andinvolve much activity.
The processions often feature amikoshi, a 'divine palanquin', used tocarry a kami (or an image of a kami).
The mikoshi is often described as aThe three day extravaganza
occurs every year in March on aweekend from Friday through Sunday. Dance performances and traditional art demonstrations are displayed by artisans from Japan, Australia, Tahiti, Philippines, Republicof China (Taiwan), Korea, Hawaii
and the rest of the United States.
The Festival culminates with aspectacular parade down Kalakaua
Avenue in Waikiki, Hawaii.
portable altar or portable shrine.
The procession of the mikoshi is effectively a visit by the kamiof the shrine to the local communitythat is devoted to them, and isthought to confer a blessing on thatcommunity.
Because Shinto originates in
the agricultural prehistory of Japan,
most of its festivals are tied to thefarming seasons.
The Honolulu Festival is
Hawaii's premier cultural event,promoting understanding, economic
cooperation and ethnic harmony
between the people of Hawaii and
the Pacific Rim region. It also showcases the many matsuri celebrated byshrines throughout Japan.
Each year, the Festival draws
thousands of new and returning spectators who are looking for an experience beyond Hawaii. Througheducational programs and activities
sponsored by the Honolulu FestivalFoundation, a non profit organization, the Festival continues to successfully share the rich and vibrantblend of Asia, Pacific and Hawaiian
cultures with the rest of the world.

Honolulu Festival activities
are held at various locations in theheart of the city, making them easily accessible to residents and visitors alike. Moreover, admission to
all Festival events is free, ensuringthat everyone can take part in thefestivities.

SHRINE CALENDAR

Mahalo for your generous donations
Thomas & Linda Agawa
Yuuki Balunso
Toshiko Fujisaki
Bob Harada
Ken Hirayama
Arthur Horio
Yoshikiko & Mamiko Ikuina
Dorothy Inouye
Kyoko Isa
Robert & Michelle Johnson
Keith Kamimoto
Takashi & Seiko Kawai
Masao Kawamura
Sachiko Kele
Joyce Kubokawa
Ernest & Chiyoko Lau
Agnes & Shledon Lee
Ann Matsumoto
Roy Morioka

Fumikazu Muraoka
Shinken Naitoh
Masateru & Hatsuko Nakazato
Nakazato Fish Market
Jason & Mari Neely
Craig & Diane Nishida
Neal Nishida & Family
Machiko Okada
Walter & Jane Ouye
Cheryl Pang
Kumiko Sakai
Makiko Serrana
Robert & Miyono Shimoda
Dalbert & Noriko Sogawa
Alice Sugimoto
Takako Suzuki
Sugimoto Family
Calvin Yamada
Paul & Gwen Yokota

Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha - Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu is a 501C3 nonprofit church.

神社スケジュールApril
6

12 Clean-up & Mochi pounding
掃除と餅つき13 Spring Thanksgiving Festival
春季感謝大祭

五月May
6

Tsukinami-sai Monthly Service
月次祭

10 Pet Expo - NBC Exhibition Hall
ペット・エキスポ
10 Pet Expo - NBC Exhibition Hall
ペット・エキスポ
25 Honolulu Shinto Renmei
Memorial Day Service
ホノルル神道連盟 メモリアル

Mahalo Volunteers
Bob HaradaArthur MJY Isa
Juston IsaTsukinami-sai Monthly Service
月次祭

All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

GIVE 5 Campaign - March

四月デー・サービス

Jon Lower
Shinken Naitoh
Axel Obara

31 Clean-up & Preparations

掃除と準備June
We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences tothe families of the late1

六月

Pet Blessing Festival
ペット清祓い8Tsukinami-sai Monthly Service
月次祭

14 Clean-up & Mochi pounding
掃除と餅つき15 Dazaifu Tenmangu Sukei Kai
FestivalRichard Sakai

Hanayagi Mitsuaki II(Karen Fujishima-Lee)

太宰府天満宮崇敬会大祭

PLASTIC BENTO GRASSThose strips of green plastic, cut on one end, arecalled haran or baran. Haran is the name of an actual plantthat has short, ti-leaf looking leaves. Haran is used to add
color and as a divider to prevent flavors from seeping fromone dish to another. The separation of foods also slows bacteria growth. This, of course, pertains to real haran and not theplastic grass-like decorations used in bento.
Certain plants release very active antimicrobial substances called phytoncides that prevent the plant from rotting.
When the leaves from such plants are used to wrap or dividefoods, the phytoncides in the leaves inhibit the growth of bacteria in the food. So meals packed with real leaves stay safe
longer than meals packed with plastic.
Although Japanese people have long had simple ways to carry prepared foods away from home, such as wrapping cookedrice in leaves, the bento as we know it, with small amounts of many foods presented attractively in a compact container, has its roots in the Edo Period (1603-1867).
In
those days, well-to-do people ordered elaborate meals for outdoor parties and excursions. The food needed to bepacked tightly to prevent shifting during transport, but also had to look good because playful, attractive presentations
were then prized.
In the Kansai area, which includes Kyoto and Osaka, the plant of preference was a member of the lily family,
Aspidistra elatior. In Edo (present-day Tokyo), cooks tended to use sasanoha or leaves of the bamboo grass plant, particularly for sushi.
Plastic substitutes came into use around the mid-1960s when supermarkets were getting their start in Japan,
and the big stores were looking for ways to cut costs so they could offer lower prices. In more recent years, with theinternationalization of sushi, the plastic variety has spread overseas where it is marketed as "sushi grass."
If you stop to think about it, it's perhaps surprising that manufacturers haven't added some kind of antimicrobial agent to the plastic grass strips. After all, there are all sorts of products in Japan with built-in antibacterial properties, ranging from kitchen sponges to luxury pantyhose. The clear films used to cover commercial bento in Japan incorporate a compound derived from wasabi root that inhibits the growth of microorganisms.

Gaku restoration
The Gaku or plaque with the name ofthe shrine - Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu wasrestored by our head shrine in Fukuoka,Dazaifu Tenmangu.
The characters on this special plaquewas written by former Chief Priest Nobusada
Nishitakatsuji, father of the present Chief
Priest of Dazaifu Tenmangu, Fukuoka.
The Nishitaktsujis are the direct
descendants of Sugawara no Michizane, toBefore restoration
After restoration
whom the shrine is dedicated to and who wasrenown as a most accomplished scholar, statesman and calligrapher.
The restoration was performed by artisans in Japan by first stripping the aluminum plaque of all oxidation, pollutants, airborne contaminants and residue from the freeway, accumulated over the past decades. Next,
an analysis was done to determine the best method that was efficient and environmentally friendly. The plaque
was then refinished and restored to its original color and condition. The complete process took about twomonths. Mahalo Chief Priest Nishitakatsuji and Dazaifu Tenmangu.

Oya koko - Filial Piety - revering our parents
The social ethic of the Japanese people are - - honor,duty and obligation.
Traditionally, it was the duty of a man to care for andprotect his family, and the duty of a woman to bear children andobey her husband; it was the duty of a teacher to guide students
to intellectual and moral heights, and the duty of the students torevere and obey the teacher; it was the duty of a leader to be an
exemplary model for the subjects and rule with moral rectitude,
and the duty of the subjects to abide by the ruler's directives andoffer committed support.
In one sense, Japanese society may seem like a society
plagued by social and family constraints. However, such a cultural sense of responsibility for one another may have been thesignificant contributor to Japan’s social cohesion and national
strength, which fueled it’s resilient transformation after the devastation of World War II.
However, of all the duties and obligations, none is as
widely ingrained in the Japanese psyche as oya koko or filial piety. Filial piety can be generalized as the proper behavior and attitude one must show one's parents and elders. Filial obligations include using the proper respectful form ofspeech when addressing an elder, unconditional obedience to one's parents and their decisions, and carrying on the family name by producing heirs.
Parents give their children the ultimate gift of life. In a culture where family is so valued, parents, as the headsof a family, mean the world to the children. Our ancestors and the elders of society provide us with the history, culture,and tradition that define the world you live in.
Therefore, filial piety is an expansive concept with a matching range of obligations, but one that arises not fromblind obedience to our parents and our ancestors, but one that signifies a profound and heartfelt sense of gratitude,honor, and respect.
Confucius considered filial piety an imperative moral conduct. To the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese, it is thecentral ideology, and moreover, provides the foundation for all other attitudes.
Although filial piety is such a dominant ideology in Asian culture, it is often absent from American society withrebellious, intractable and pretentious youths.
Even without knowing the word filial piety, many people are pious towards their parents. Nevertheless, young
children can benefit from having more encouragement and reinforcement of such positive behaviors, especially today,with American society facing such severe declines in morality.
Interestingly, Indian Buddhism did not have a strong notion of filial piety. Buddhism in India rejected respect
for ancestors and parents. The true Buddhist had to reject all family ties, just as they had to reject social and class ties ifthey were to achieve enlightenment. Family was viewed as just another encumbrance of mortal life that had to be dealt
with. Buddhist monks were obligated to sever all ties with their family and to forget their ancestors.
Early Buddhism stressed individual salvation, and had little room for the interdependent society that Confucianism had created in China, which stressed the good of the community more than the good of the individual. In India,
Buddhism also advocated celibacy among its monks which was unacceptable in the Confucian world view, as heirs
were necessary to continue the family lineage. When Buddhism was introduced to China, it was redefined to support
filial piety and other Confucian beliefs.
Concerns of an aging population are widespread around the globe, and Japan is no exception. With younger
generations embracing the western ideals of individualism, a national long term care insurance system was establishedto address major concerns about aging and the care problem. The new system grew out of the recognition that, even inmodern Japan, the practice of filial piety has weakened to the point of disappearing, due to changes in the society.
With weakened community ties, increase in small-sized families, and growing number of working women, thefinancial and psychological burden of families facing the care for the elderly in Japan has become unbearably large.
Will oya koko, the reverence for parents considered in traditional Japanese ethics a prime virtue and the basis of
all human relationship ever be revived in the hearts and minds of the younger Japanese? Will oya koko have something
substantive to offer in response to the awesome needs of our graying society in the U.S. and the potential to provide
crucial support in its preparation for the future.

Takuan Daikon pickles
Takuan or Takuwan (沢庵) is a popular and traditional pickle in Japan
made from daikon radish. Takuan is also popular in South Korea, where it iscalled danmuji (단무지).
There are several stories as to how the name takuan originated. Somesay it comes from a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk named Takuan, who was the first
person to pickle daikon in this method.
The zen priest Takuan was born on December 1, 1573 in Hyogo prefecture to a samurai family. His father was Suketoyo Yamana, who was defeated in11581 by Hidoyoshi Toyotomi. Takuan’s father became a ronin and Takuan wasforced to become a priest at the age of ten.
Others say the takuwae-zuke pickles eventually evolved into takuanzuke. The word takuan was used primarily in the eastern part of Japan.
Takuan in western parts of Japan is called Hyappon-zuke, Koh no mono or Jakuan, which some scholars feel eventuallybecame takuan.
The first step in making traditional takuan is to hang a daikon radish in the sun for a few
weeks until it is bends easily. Next, the supple daikon is placed in a pickling crock and covered with a mix of salt, ricebran, sugar, daikon greens, kombu, and perhaps chili pepper and/or dried persimmon peels. A rock or weight is placed on
top of the crock, and the daikon is allowed to sit for several months. The finished takuan is usually yellowish, althoughmost mass-produced takuan rely on food coloring for this effect.
Often times restaurants serve two slices of takuan along with some other tsukemono. This practice of serving twoslices of takuan originated during the Edo period where there was a class distinction system of shi-no-ko-sho. Shi-no-kosho was based on Chinese Confucian models of social structure, involving four classes: the warriors (shi); the farmers(no); the artisans (ko); and the merchants (sho).
Takuan was a staple in the diet of the people of the Edo period (1603 - 1867). Due to the Tokugawa shogunate’s
strict policy of sankin kotai, the daimyo’s wives and heirs were required to remain in Edo as hostages. The expenditures
necessary to maintain lavish residences in both their fief and Edo, and for the procession to and from Edo, placed great
financial strains on the daimyo, making them unable to wage war. Thus, there was a large population of samurai, bothactive and inactive ronin in Edo.
It was prohibited in Edo, during this period, to serve any samurai warrior one slice or three slices of any
foodstuff - takuan, sashimi, etc. Chefs in the Tokyo area would always serve samurai warriors either two and five slices,always careful of avoiding the numbers one or three.
One slice is “hito-kire” (一 切 れ ) in Japanese. Hito is the number one and kire means slice. However, Hito-kire( 人 斬 れ ） can also mean “to kill someone. “ In this case, hito would refer to human beings and kire, the act of killing.
Three slices is “mi-kire” (三 切 れ ) in Japanese. Again, “mi-kire” can also mean to be killed or to commit seppuku or harakiri. In this case, “mi” means human body and “kire” to be sliced or killed.
The Japanese believe in the spirit of language" or the "power of language", a Shinto concept called kotodama.
Kotodama refers to the spiritual power that is contained within words, but also refers to the concept that spiritual power
can be manifested through the intonation of words.
The notion of kotodama presupposes thatsounds can influence our environment, body, mind,and soul.
Kotodama encompasses the notionthat good can be brought about as a result of positiveand beautiful words and evil brought about by negative
and ugly words.
Kotodama is also fundamental to Reiki practitioners and martial artists, for instance, in the use ofkiai.
Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, usedkotodama because of it’s capability of affecting physical reality and as a spiritual basis for his martial arts
teachings.
So, for the samurai, hito-kire (one slice) or
mi-kire (three slices), both referring to either killing or
being killed was an ominous omen with possibly negative consequences.

Olomea Street Construction
February - October 2008
7:00 am - 3:00 pm Mondays – Fridays
Construction is underway by Ideal Construction for a relief
sewer on Olomea, Halona and Kohou Streets. The $4.5 million project
began on February 4 for completion in November 2008. Major construction in front of the shrine is scheduled to take place in April.
Meanwhile, we apologize for any inconvenience due to theroad closures of Olomea Street. Please feel free to call the shrine at841-4755 or Bob Shirai of SSFM International, in charge of the Project Hotline at 216-2412 before visiting the shrine.
ONE-LANE CLOSURESIn the case of a one-lane closure, a sign will be posted at Houghtailing and Olomea allowing local traffic only, which
includes shrine visitors. Disregard the Road Closure sign and proceed to the shrine using the usual route on Olomea
Street.
TWO LANE CLOSURESIn the case of a two-lane road closure, a sign posted at Houghtailing and Olomea will direct traffic to the shrine fromKohou Street. Two-way traffic will be allowed on Olomea Street with entry and exit from Kohou Street only.
KAMA LANE
You may also use the Kama Lane entry from King Street, across the Kapalama Post Office. The Kama Lane gate isclosed to cars, but always open to pedestrians. Please park on Kama Lane, in front of the shrine gate and walk throughthe swinggate. Please disregard the No-Parking sign.

Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu
1239 Olomea Street
Honolulu, HI 96817-3343