Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu

Special EditionSpring 2017

On Sunday, April 9, a solemn ceremony was held to express gratitude and to reflect on the many gifts that we receivefrom nature. Rev. Takizawa and Rev. Kazunari Todaka of Dazaifu Tenmangu, performed the Spring Thanksgiving
ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu in the presence of Chief Priest Nobuyoshi
Nishitakatsuji and guests.

M AHALO f or you r don at ion s
Thomas & Linda Agawa
Bishop Daiya Amano
Lois ArakakiIzumo Taishakyo Mission
Ronald & Kathy Iwao

Daijingu Temple of Hawaii

Lorraine & Elsie Kadota
Elaine Komatsu

Dazaifu Tenmangu
Bill & Keiko Doughty
Clark & Gayle Fujihara
Toshiko Fujisaki
Bryson Goda
Miyoko Hanahara
Hanayagi Dancing AHF
Bob Harada
Hawaii Senbukan
Arthur K. Isa

David & Masako Jimenez

James & Melba Kurashige

Takakazu Maeda
Steven Miwa
Shinken & Marilyn Naitoh
Craig & Diane NishidaDiane Ogasawara
Mitsunobu Ohashi
Renee Sakamoto
Jay & Pauline Sakashita

Welcom e t o Haw aii
16 priests, miko and friends of Dazaifu
Tenmangu Fukuoka led by Ch ief Pr iest
Nobu yosh i Nish it ak at su ji, the 39th
descendant of Michizane Sugawara,
arrived in Hawaii to participate in the65th anniversary of Hawaii DazaifuTenmangu.
Welcome to Rev. Tak ak azu M aeda ofJinja Shimpo, Tokyo who flew in to join
us at our festival.

M AHALOM AHALO

Fest ival Volu n t eer s 4/ 9

Pr ep Volu n t eer s

Akiko Sanai
Gary & Linda Shinsato Kirra BorelloBill Doughty
Alice Sugimoto
Keiko Doughty
Sugimoto Ohana
Chad Enoki
Yuko Takahashi
Kei Enoki
Sharon Toma
Everett Fan
Lori Ann Toyama
Jeff Fujioka
Ryan & Kara Yasui
Bryson Goda
Hanayagi Dancing AHF
Bob Harada
Ren Ikeda
Tyler Ikehara
Arthur K. Isa
Galen Komatsu
Jordan Masutomi

4/ 7
Marilyn Naitoh
Diane Nishida
Shinken Naitoh
Craig Nishida
4/ 8
Diane Nishida
Mitsunobu Ohashi Arthur K. Isa
Austin Lau
Ryan Okata
Stuart Pang
Alan Lee
Jenna Shigeta
Marilyn Naitoh
Gary Shinsato
Shinken Naitoh
Linda Shinsato
Craig Nishida
Yuko Takahashi
Ryan Okata
Johnny Tamanaha
Gary Shinsato
Linda Shinsato

Spr in g Th an k sgivin g Fest ival

2017 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSThe Spring Thanksgiving Festival is a time to remember thebounties that we receive from nature and the friendships,kindnesses, generosity and guidance received from everyone
who has touched and shaped our lives.
Students of Han ayagi Dan cin g Academ y Haw aii
Fou n dat ion (HDAHF) performed classical Japanese dances
followed by the annual presentation of Scholarships.
HDAHF was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by
the shrine and Dazaifu Tenmangu Japan for their many yearsof dedication and service to the shrine.
Rev M or i, Rev. Kot or ii and Rev. Todak a closed the festivalwith a performance of Etenraku and Furusato.
Much mahalo to the dedicated officers and friends of theshrine for their kokua in making the festival possible.
Scholarship recipients for 2017 are:Sk ye Sak ash it a - presently attending Punahou School
St aci Sh im am ot o - presently attending UH at Manoa
Jen sen Yasu i - presently attending Mililani High School
Cassan dr a Car lyle - presently attending Iolani School
Ch er ie Ish ih ar a - presently attending UH at M anoaAward of Appreciation:
Han ayagi Dan cin g Academ y Haw aii Fou n dat ion

Celebr at in g 65 year s of ser vice t o t h e com m u n it y
At the urging of the Honolulu Fukuoka
Kenjinkai and its members, a Gobunrei
authorized for worship by Dazaifu
Tenmangu of Saifu City, Fukuoka-ken
was brought to Hawaii on July 24, 1952.

The 1970's heralded a new beginningof cultural activities for the shrine. OnMay 29, 1973, a plaque written by thelegendary calligrapher Kanho Harada
was bestowed to the shrine.

The Gobunrei was hand-carried fromDazaifu, Fukuoka to Yokohama
by Chief Priest Nobusada
Nishitakatsujii, father of Chief PriestNobuyoshi Nishitakatsuji
and transported by boat to Honolulu
by shrine President and Fukuoka
Kenjin officer, Yotaro Fujino
accompanied by Fukuoka Kenjin Kai
officer Gisaku Fujimoto.

In celebration of the 15th anniversaryof Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu,

Rev. Nobusada Nishitakatusji and five
priests form Dazaifu Tenmangu,
Fukuoka arrived on March 21, 1976 toparticipate in the festivities.
Plans were initiated for the purchase ofthe Bishop Estate land behind theshrine for the construction of aIn June 1960, Chief Priest Nobusada
Nishitakatsuji of Dazaifu Tenmangu,
visited the shrine for the first time,after completing graduate studies atHarvard University.
Rev. Nishitakatsuji was the 38th
descendant of Michizane Sugawara, aneminent scholar and Minister of theImperial court who was deified uponhis death in 903 C.E.and given theposthumous name of Tenjin.
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu Spring Festival held on March 25, 1956

May 9, 1981 and a Jichin-sai (groundbreaking ceremony) was performed onMay 17.

aristocracy expressed their awe ofnature through poetry in a gala called
Kyokusui-no-en.

The ancient Joto-sai rites followed on
November 15, when the ridgepoles
were made and set in place on theroof.

A shallow stream was dug at Ala
Moana Beach Park and shrine
members donned ancient costumes
and recited poems, re-enacting theelegant traditions of the Heian period.

On April 15, 1982, Rev. and Mrs.
Nobusada Nishitakatsuji, 15 priests
and a large tour group from Dazaifu
Tenmangu, Fukuoka arrived in Hawaii
to participate in the completion of thefirst Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine on
foreign soil.

Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine. Due tounforeseen circumstances, plans forthe purchase of Bishop Estate landbehind the shrine was abandoned inJuly 1976 and plans for construction ofa Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine at Kama
Lane was brought to the table.
Construction permits were issued on

In 2013 - 31 years after the Kyokusui
no-En event in Honolulu, a delegation
led by Rev. Takizawa and Dr. Shinken
Naitoh, president of the shrine visited
Dazaifu Tenmangu Fukuoka to witness
the Kyokusui-no-en festivities.

Architect, Thomas Agawa provided pro
bono design work for the Kotohira andDazaifu Tenmangu shrines which wasdevotedly built by members
volunteering their time and expertisedaily, for a period of twelve months.
The completion ceremony wasperformed on April 16 followed by arecreation of the elegant
Kyokusui-no-en (Water Poetry Festival)
at Ala Moana Beach Park. The Heianw w w.f lick r .com / k ot oh ir a-dazaif u

Fest ival Pr epar at ion s & Clean u p
Mahalo nui to our volunteers for helping on 4/7, 4/8 to prep and 4/9 to clean up at our recent Spring Thanksgiving
Festival