Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu DECEMBER 2023
E Komo Mai !
The shrine welcomed the annual visit of the 21stCentury Religious Federation - - a Japaneseorganization of interfaith leaders that participates in
the annual Pearl Harbor ceremony.
Visits by the full membership of the Federation werehalted in 2020 due to COVID and finally returned withfull membership this year.

82 years ago, Japan launched an attack on the U.S.
Naval base of Pearl Harbor killing more than 2,400
service members and accelerating U.S. involvement inWorld War II.
The 21st Century Religious Federation was formed in1983 by religious leaders in Japan to make the annual
pilgrimage to Hawaii to participate in the U.S. Navyand National Park Service's Remembrance ceremony
held at Pearl Harbor on December 7th.

DONATIONS Nenpo Shinkyo Kongoji

M AHALO NUI

40th Hawaii Peace Mission

James & Melba Kurashige

Corniche K.K.

Yuki Alzona-Kusuhara

Kent Matsuzaki

Seizo Imamura

Carl & Joy Anderson

Yae Miko

Art Isa

Charlie & Amy Castro

Steve Miwa

Masa & Irene Takizawa

Corniche K.K.

Shinken & Marilyn Naitoh

Bill & Keiko Doughty

Lori Nakamoto

SAKE - SPIRITS

Lauren Hamaguchi

Daniel & Yoko Neves

Lois Arakaki

Sachiko Hopkins

Craig & Diane Nishida

Bryson & Reiko Goda

Seizo Imamura

Akiko Sanai

Seizo Imamura

Art Isa

Gary & Linda Shinsato

Art Isa

Arthur & Becky Isa

Robert Stallings

Takeshi & Masako Kawasaki

Rodney & Sharon Isa

Naomi Teramoto

KSK Hawaii

Iwashimizu Hachimangu

Danielle Yoshitake

Mike Lee

Izumi Kato

RICE

Jinja Honcho

Craig & Diane Nishida

Ayaka Kahiapo

Gary & Linda Shinsato

Mami Kajiwara

Masa & Irene Takizawa

Mahalo for all your cans and plastic bottles !
Cans and plastic bottles collected this quarter wasredeemed for cash at the neighborhood Recycling
Center - CM Recycling.
If you aren't already recycling, please bring empty cansand plastic bottles to the shrine:- remove all caps from the bottles- empty out all liquids- be sure the HI-5 mark in on the cans and plastic bottles
Plenty Mahalo for your donations !

GOKITO - Private Blessings
PRIVATE BLESSINGSThe shrine will betaking a hiatus from
Gokito Private
Blessings from 12/28~1/4/2024.
Gokito Private
Blessings will beavailable fromJanuary 5 (Fri).

A House blessing was conducted
on 11/24 for a home in Kaimuki

A long distance blessing was performed
for a family who are grateful for thegoodness that surrounded them during
a challenging year

The last Tsukinamisai of 2023 was conducted in thepresence of our Officers and Directors. We lookforward to a 2024 with good health, good fortune
and much laughter .

Please contact theshrine after January
3 (Wed) to book areservation.
Mahalo Nui Loa

An annual Business Blessing was conducted fora company based in Japan. May this businessexpand, flourish and create great livelihood andgrowth for all those involved.

CALENDARDECEM BER 2023

JANUARY 2024

2314 pm
Clean up and Preparations

26 - 30 8:30 am - 4 pm
Saisaki-Mode Early HatsumodePersonal Worship

M idn igh t - 2 am
(Closed 2 am ~ 8 am )8 am - 4 pm
Hatsumode Personal Worship
Omamori available in hall

2
8:30 - 3:30 pm
Early Omamori Selection (in the hall)31

8:30 am - 4:00 pm(Closed 4 pm ~ 8 pm )8:00 pm - 11:59 pm
Saisaki-Mode Hatsumode Worship
Omamori available in hall

8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Hatsumode Personal Worship(Om am or i available f r om 8:30 am - 2 pm )2 pmMoving omamori to shrine, clean &restore hall

3~~

8:30 am - 4:00 pm (Resu m e r egu larsch edu le)Hatsumode Personal Worship

11:30 pm (INTERNAL)

Omamori available in shrine

Toshikoshi no O-harai
1310 am - 4 pm
JCCH Ohana Festival

21

Mock Orange blossoms in full bloom

12:00 pm Sagicho Preparations
1:00 pm

Sagicho2:00 pm

Tsukinamisai

SAISAKI-M ODE

12/ 26 - 12/ 31

8:30 am - 4 pm

Saisaki-mode, literally means "praying for happiness early" and offers an opportunity
prior to January 1 to express our gratitude and to pray for a new 2024 full of hope,
health and abundance.
Saisaki-mode is offered "Japan-style" where you pray on your own. For those who
prefer not to come together en masse for Hatsumode - visit the shrine for Saisaki-mode
for a safe alternative.

Om am or i Ear ly Select ion
12/26 - 12/30 8:30 am - 4 pm

HATSUM ODE 2024
Jan u ar y 1 M on

Midnight - 2 am
8 am - 4 pm

Of f -sit e Par k in g
Parking 12/31 & 1/1 at Farrington
High School (Entry nearest toKalihi Street)

Jan u ar y 2

Tu es 8:30 am - 4 pm

(Om am or i available 8:30 am - 2 pm )Jan u ar y 3 - Febr u ar y 3 8:30 am - 4 pm

Free shuttle

We hope you will be able to see these safety
protocols as an opportunity to carry on Japanesetraditions in a new and safe way.

No Toshikoshi Soba

Embrace the spirit of the Japanese New Year at
Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha - Hawaii Dazaifu
Tenmangu.

Omiki (sake) (Limited hours)

No Ozoni Soup
No Shishimai Lion Dance

BYOBags

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
12/ 31 Su n day ~ 1/ 7 Su n day
Please consider some of theways below to help the shrine
during the Hatsumodeseason. Any length of time
will be deeply appreciated.

gloves available. The hall will
be ventilated with all windows
open.

However, we will still needhelp in sharing the traditionsof Hatsumode with thecommunity.

Like Hatsumode 2023, we will
have masks, face shields and

The shrine will be running a
reduced scope of services andhours of operation during ourannual Hatsumode event.

TRAFFIC CONTROL (passout flyers for offsite parking)OM IKUJI BOOTH (Givechange, etc)

1/ 1

12/ 31 8 pm - 2 am (1/ 1)

LOGISTICS CREW (assistRev. Takizawa in a multitudeof tasks)

1/ 1

8:30 am - 4 pm

12/ 31OM AM ORI BOOTH(cashiers, baggers}

1/ 2

8:30 am - 2 pm

12/ 31 8 am - 4 pm

VOLUNTEER SERVICES(pack catered food forvolunteer lunches, clean upafter lunch)

SANITIZERS (Sanitize halland high-touch surfaces)

1/ 1

12/ 31

8:30 pm - 2 am (1/ 1)

1/ 1

8:30 am - 4 pm

1/ 2

8:30 am - 2 pm

8:30 am - 4 pm

8 pm - 2 am (1/ 1)
1/ 1

8 am - 12 pm

1/ 2

8 am - 2 pm

1/ 6

8:30 am - 4 pm

1/ 7

8:30 am - 4 pm

9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Feel free to reach us to us atanytime. These are the ways
you can help !!

8:30 am - 12:30 pm
10 pm - 2 am (1/ 1)

1/ 1

8 am - 4 pm

1/ 2

8:30 am - 4 pm

SHICHIFUKUJINIt seems that every culture has
lucky numbers and unluckynumbers.
In Japan, four and nine areconsidered unlucky because of
their pronunciation.
Four is pronounced shi which isthe same pronunciation as"death".
Nine is pronounced ku which has
the same pronunciation as"agony" or "hardship".
Seven appears to be a universally
lucky or auspicious number.
Pythagoreans called it theperfect number - 3 and 4, thetriangle and the square, theperfect figures.
There are seven visible planetsand luminaries - Sun, Moon,Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiterand Saturn.
There are seven Chakras, seven
Wonders of the World, sevendeadly sins, seven virtues, theseven seas, seven days of theweek, seven colors of thespectrum and so on.
SHICHI-FUKU-JIN
Shichifukuin is the Seven deities?
of Luck in Japanese folklore.
They are deities often portrayed

together riding on a treasure
ship (takarabune).
They carry various magical items
such as an invisible hat, an
inexhaustible purse, a lucky robeof feathers, keys to the divine
treasure house and importantbooks and scrolls. Here are thenames and the features of theShichi-fuku-jin.
Daikoku - The deity of wealth andfarmers. He holds a big bag
filled with treasures on hisshoulder and an uchidenokozuchi (lucky mallet) in his hand.
Bishamon - The deity of war andwarriors. he wears a suit ofarmor , a helmet and is armed
with a sword.
Ebisu - The deity of fishermen
and wealth is usually depictedwith t large, red tai (sea bream)
and a fishing rod.?
Fukurokuju - The deity of
longevity has an elongated bald
head and a white beard.

Jurojin - Another deity oflongevity who has a long whitebeard and a scholar 's cap and isoften pictured with his
messenger - a stag.
Hotei - The deity of happiness
who has a jolly face and a bigbelly.
Benzaiten - The deity of music,
performing arts and learning andis the only female in the groupand carries a biwa (Japaneselute)
The Shichifukujin set will beavailable at the shrine from
12/26/2023.
NANA-KUSA
Nanakusa means "seven herbs".
In Japan nanakusa-gayu porridge
is eaten on January 7th.
These seven herbs are said toprevent illness. The Japanese
tend to eat and drink excessively
on New Year 's eve and day,therefore, it is said to be theideal meal - light and healthy andloaded with nutrients.

On 12/11, a Japanese tourist walked into theshrine. Rev. Takizawa thought it was odd that thetourist chose to carry his shoes instead of placing
them at the front door.
After a few minutes, a local male entered theshrine - as seen on the left side of the photo.
He entered with his shoes on so Rev. Takizawa
went to ask that he remove his footwear before
entering. Upon seeing the local male, he
immediately realized that the Japanese tourist wasprobably being targeted for robbery.
The local male wore a baseball cap low on his headand a ski mask covering most of his face and neck.
Rev Takizawa immediately asked the local male toleave the premises and followed him out the door.
The male then ran towards the back of the shrine.
Rev. Takizawa followed in pursuit and caught him
hiding below the shrine.
The male then began throwing concrete blocks atRev. Takizawa, at which time the police were called.
The male then climbed over the shrine railing, ran
towards the back, jumped off the railing andclimbed over the shrine fence into our neighbor 'sproperty. The male then stole a child's scooter
and escaped towards King Street.
The police finally arrived at this time and began
their manhunt.
Rev. Takizawa offered to walk the Japanese tourist
to the bus stop, who claimed to be shaken but fine.
The tourist claims that he was being followed fromthe bus stop but was never approached by themale. He thought that the male was after his
custom-made running shoes - purchased for theHonolulu Marathon.
A few months ago in September, Rev. Miyasaka ofIzumo Taishakyo Mission was assaulted by an
intruder in the middle of the night and sufferedfacial trauma
The intruder made an unauthorized entry into
Izumo Taishakyo property despite video
surveillance cameras and alarms and left with Rev.
Miyasaka's Drivers License and credit cards.
There has also been purse snatching incidents
while private blessings are being conducted atIzumo Taishakyo.
Crime data shows that churches all across the US
is seeing a dramatic increase in theft, vandalism,
arson and physical attacks on church property andclergy compared to the same timeframe last year.
Data also reflects an uptick in firearms beingbrought into houses of worship. Quite a few
firearm incidents have been identified on themainland.
It seems to be the end of a social taboo that once
protected houses of worship as a sacredsanctuary. Criminals are now unfazed bycommitting crimes against churches.