Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 3 MARCH 2015

Sake Appreciation Festival
Sake, a by product of rice haslong been a vital part of Japaneseculture.
Rice is considered a gift from thekami and has been Japan’s primarystaple since time immemorial. Sake
was thought to be a magical derivative of rice - an elixir that gave joy.
Two of Hawaii Kotohira JinshaHawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu’s kami
are Ohmono Nushino Mikoto or
Daikoku and Inari. both known as
the kami of the five grains.
The first known account of sakebeing brewed by the kami can byfound in the Nihon Shoki. It is said
that sake was offered to the kami ofOmiwa Jinja shrine in Nara and also
Emperor Sujin as part of an ancientritual.
Sake has played an important rolein Shinto ceremonies and all ceremonies will end with the partaking
of sake with the kami, a practiceknown as Naorai.
The first sake to be shared at theFestival was Kinkan Kuromatsu
Josen, a sake produced by Murashige Breweries of Iwakuni, the official
sake brewers for Shirasaki
Hachiman-gu shrine since 1959. Dr.
Shinken Naitoh can be seen in theabove photo pouring the special
sake to participants.

Photos: www.flickr.com/kotohira-dazaifu

Mahalo to Dance MasterHanayagi Mitsujyuro for performing Sanbaso, a dance dedicated toDaikoku in gratitude of the fivegrains.
A big mahalo also goes out toBob Harada for performing theShishimai Lion Dance to blessparticipants with positive energies,
to Akiko Sanai for transporting thesake from Shirasaki Hachimangu
shrine in Japan to Honolulu and toall the donors and volunteers in
helping to make this event asuccess.
(Photos courtesy of Akiko Sanai).

Sanbaso Video: youtu.be/yKSAfkuZZfQ

MAHALO for your generous donations
Thomas & Linda Agawa
Anonymous
Wesley & Yumi Antalan
Daniel & Chie Aramaki
Jerry & Namiko Chandler
Doughty Ohana
Brent Furuya
Hanayagi Dancing Academy HF
Bob Harada
Kariann Irei
Kyoko Isa
Hiroyuki & Nanako Kimura
Kitagawa Ohana
James & Melba Kurashige

Milton & Kathy Hamada Kwock
Shinken & Marilyn Naitoh
Craig & Diane Nishida
Trisha Park
Akiko Sanai
Gary & Linda Shinsato
Allan Takeshita
Yukari Towata

Congratulations to Chad and Kei Enoki - wishing you awonderful journey as you build your new life together.
The Japanese wedding ceremony represents more thanjust the joining of a couple, it is also the witnessing of thecreation of a new family.
The highlight of the ceremony is Keppai no Gi or San-sankudo, a ritual where both bride and groom exchange nuptial
cups three times, pledging marriage.
The meaning of San-san-kudo is to form a stronger connection through the exchanging of the cups of three different sizes. Big Mahalo goes out to Bryson Goda for dressing the newlyweds.

JapaneseSuperstitions
In ancient China, dolls were used toabsorb and exorcise evil spirits. This practice
was adopted by the Japanese and named
Jōshi no Sekku or Snake Day ritual because it
was performed on the day of the Snake.
The ritual was renamed Momo no Sekku
or Peach Day and girls would sleep with thedolls - allowing impurities to be drawn out
overnight. The next day the dolls would betossed into a river or the ocean.
The elaborate dolls seen today became
popular in the Edo period (1600-1867) andare no longer tossed into the river. The dollsare now elaborate works of art that arehanded down from generation to generation. The maternal grandparents usually
give a set of Hina dolls upon the birth oftheir first granddaughter.
It is said that you must store the dolls
immediately after Girl’s Day or the daughters of the household will be unable to findhusbands.

Congratulations

Shirasaki Hachimangu of Yamaguchi-ken is one of the seven Jinja enshrined at Hawaii Kotohira
Jinsha - Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu.
Emperpr Ojin, the fifteenth emperor of Japan, was the son of Emperor Chuai and Empress Jingu. According to theNihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), he was carried in his mother's womb for the duration of her conquest of the three
kingdoms of Korea.
Upon his mother’s death, Emperor Ojin assumed the throne and was thought to be divine as eight banners are said
to have fallen from the heavens at the time of his birth. Following his death Emperor Ojin was deified and a shrine
built at the site of a his tomb. It was however, several hundred years before he was identified with Hachiman, the godof warriors and well being.
Following this association he became the patron kami of martial artists, warriors and archers. The Hata clan considered him their guardian kami and Hachiman also became the tutelary kami of the Minamoto clan of Kamakura.
Hachiman was once claimed by Buddhism and given the name Hachiman Daibosatsu, when an oracle said that hewould protect the construction of the great Buddha at Todaiji temple in Nara. In 859, after intense prayer at Usa
Hachimangu shrine in Oita prefecture, the Buddhist monk Gyokyo recommended to the imperial court that a shrine
dedicated to Hachiman be built in the southwestern area of Kyoto to protect the Capital. Since, Hachiman worship has
spread rapidly and there are now over 25,000 shrines dedicated to Hachiman.
Shirasaki Hachimangu was established in the Imazu Biwanokubi area of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture in 1250
by Lord Saemonnojo Yoshikane Kiyotada for the peace, prosperity and perpetuation of his clan and domain.
The Kiyotada clan changed its name to Hironaka and in 1348, land was donated by the Lord Kanetane Donai
Hironaka to relocate Shirasaki Hachimango to Mt. Shirasaki in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi-ken.
In 1496, the shrine was burnt to the ground during the military conflicts of the Warring States period. In 1498, theHall of Treasures was rebuilt followed by the Mai-den Hall of Dances in 1503.
Since, the Lord of the Hironaka clan of Iwakuni served as the Guji or chief priest of Shirasaki Hachimangu. In1555, Yoshifusa Imaike, grandson of Lord Takatane Hironaka became Guji due to Lord Hironaka’s death. The Imaikeclan has since served as the Guji at Shirasaki Hachimangu.
Rev. Misao Isobe who served at Shirasaki Hachimangu became the third Guji of Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha in 1928.
His brother, Rev. Naohisa Isobe also immigrated to Hawaii to serve as Guji of the Kakaako Kotohira shrine.
In 1930, a Gobunrei was received from Shirasaki Hachimangu of Imazu Village, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi-ken andplaced for worship at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha.
A support group of the Hawaii Shirasaki Hachimangu shrine, the Shirasaki Hachimangu Hosan-kai was establishedby Miyozo Komeya with a membership of over 600 Issei families from Yamaguchi-prefecture.
The Isseis attached great significance to their ancestral home and created Prefectural, City and Village associations
to provide camaraderie and assistance to immigrants who shared the same customs and dialects.

Shrine Maintenance andBeautification
The pond in the shrine yard was removed on Saturday,
February 28. The pond was built in 1997 by Rev Takizawa
to commemorate his Hon-Yaku Yakudoshi year.
In Japanese Foosui (Feng Shui), water elements arethought to attract elements of reflection, vibrancy andgrowth because it is a living, moving force.
The pond was a hyotan gourd shape which is a powerful symbol of longevity, health and deflector of negative
energies.
After a brief ceremony of gratitude, Bob Harada andRev Takizawa resorted to hard, manual labor to maneuver around water lines to remove the concrete pond.

Private Blessings
Four young athletes were blessed in a private
ceremony to keep them safe from injury andharm, to give them perseverance, and to instillin them a respect for each other.

Honolulu FestivalThe shrine participated in the Honolulu Festivalwith a booth at the Convention Center on March
7 and 8.
The Honolulu Festival is a cultural event that
promotes understanding, economic cooperationand harmony between the people of Hawaii and
the Pacific Rim region.
Mahalo to Bob Harada, Marilyn Naitoh andBryson Goda for manning the shrine booth.

Mahalo Bob Harada forsteam cleaning the carpets
In both shrines

Mahalo Allan Takeshita for
cultivating rice plants andMorijio as offerings, on
the occasion of the recent
Sake Appreciation Festival.