Volume 3 Issue 8

Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu

WHERE ANCIENT TRADITIONS THRIVE

November 2013

ShichigosanChildren’s Festival
Shichi-Go-San is said to have originated in the Heian Period (794-1185)
among court nobles who celebrated thepassage of their children into middle
childhood.
The ages 3, 5 and 7 are consistent
with Japanese numerology, which dictates that odd numbers are lucky.
Over time, this tradition passed tothe samurai class who added a numberof rituals. Children who were requiredby custom to have shaven heads until 3were allowed to grow out their hair in aritual called kamitoki.
The hakamagi ritual allowed boysof 5 to wear hakama for the first time,
while girls of 7 replaced the simple
cords they used to tie their kimono witha traditional obi in the obitoki ritual.
By the Meiji Period (1868-1912),
the practice was adopted by commoners
and included visiting a shrine to wish
for a long healthy life.
3 year old girls began to wear a hifu
vest while 5 year old boys wore haori
and hakama, traditional garments ofthe samurai warrior class. 7 year oldgirls wore kimono outfits withelaborate obi sashes.
Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii
Dazaifu Tenmangu was the first to initiate a Shichigosan blessing with complimentary kimono dressing in hopes ofperpetuating a tradition that is spirituallyenriching and culturally exciting.
Since 1994, the shrine has blessedover 4500 children - a feat only possible
because of the tireless generosity of ourvolunteers.
A heartfelt mahalo goes out to shrine
officers, Hanayagi Dancing Academy
Hawaii Foundation instructors and devoted volunteers for their kokua weekafter week, during Shichigosan season.
Shichigosan blessings continue until
November 24.

Ofuda, Omamori, Ema, Chitose-ame, Shrine’s
2013 Shichigosan tote and Goodies

Chitose Ame or Thousand year candy is a traditional candy given
to children upon completion of their Shichigosan blessing as an
expression of wishes for a long, healthy life.
Chitose Ame is shaped like a long thin stick and comes in a longwhite paper bag decorated with symbols of longevity and is documented to have first been sold in the Asakusa district during the early Edo Period.
The shrine’s Chitose Ame is from Dazaifu Tenmangu, Fukuoka
and is handmade using traditional methods without fillers or preservatives.

View more shrine photos at www.flickr.com/photos/kotohiradazaifu

MAHALO for your generous donations
Kimie Abe
Thomas & Linda Agawa
Nick & Chikako Allday
Kimberly Andrada
Nina Arizumi
Bobby & Keiko Arre
Janna Arrisgado
Mei Alensonorin
Ryan & Jamie Asato
Kai Lee Awaya
Brian & Miharu Ayakawa
Akiko Babauta
Kaori Balch
Laryn Bardenas
Rie BarnhartDavid Begley
Mami Bell
Shinobu Burke
Chikako Cabacungan
Celebrity TuxedoAllen Chang
Shinako Ching
Kim Hudson Chock
Chika Daniels
Miyuki Day
Mira Dela Cruz
Saori Doi
Doughty Ohana
Eva Eglinton
Ai Forrest
Mamiko Fujimoto
Kazuhisa Fujita
Yuki Furuike
Dedre Gallucci
Melissa Giuffre
Yasumi Gojo
Sam & Katsura Goldstien
Chad & Karen Goto
Ward & Tgracy Hakikawa
Bob Harada
William Harstad
Kazushi Haruyama
James & Chika Harvert
Aki & Sandy Hayashi
Rick Hayashi
Kammie & Chad Hayashibara
Richard & Naomi Ho
Kyoko Isa
Rodney & Sharon Isa
Heather Isa-Guerra
Jae Isa-Takase
Page 2Matsuno Ishino
Hironoshin IsoeAdele Ito
Yoshimitsu Ito
Miki Ito-Saysamon
Jeff & Carole Itoman
Tom Jannuzzio
Kiyoko Johnson
Elsie & Lorraine Kadota
Dean & Carlyn Kagawa
Edward & Margaret
Kageyama
David & Rumi Kahoaka
Diane Kamioka
Makoto Kanbara
Paul & Chelsea Kaneshiro
Yuki Kauinui
Jeffrey & Kinue Keating
James Knudsen
Chris & Stacie Koga
Cory Kubota
James & Melba Kurashige
Lance & Leslie Kurata
Yoshiko Landsberg
Yuri Lau
Rayna Leong
Dayle Liu
Midori Loiurio
Jodie Loo
Yoshiaki &Yoko Maruyama
Tyson & Tracey Matsui
Keiko Matsukura
Carrie Matsunaga
Kelly & Marilou Matsuura
Michael & Yoko McNeal
Isao Mitsuhashi
Kevin & Chieko Mizuno
Lori Morales
Dayna Morikawa
Ryo Morimoto
Kaouru Morisawa
Lance & Fumika Morita
Alan & Hiromi Moritomo
Lee & Lorrie Mossman
Yuriko Mozer
Guy & Lianne Muramoto
Karen Naito
Shinken & Marilyn Naitoh
Bruce & Tiffany Nakada
Tsutomu Nakai
Satoshi Nakajima

Norie Nakaya-Applewhite
Edwin & Kristi Nakazato
Hatsuko Nakazato
Junko Nardi
Tomomi Nies
Sumie Nishibata
Taeko Nishibata
Craig & Diane Nishida
Naoko Nishikawa
Diane Ogasawara
Shirasaki Ohana
Mari Okamoto
Arisa Okano
Yuji & Tina Onitsuka
Naomi Ooka
Chika Otsubo
Darren & Cathy Pai
Yuko Parisi
William & Itsuko Park
Naomi Pawelczyk
Stuart & Katsura Peterson
Yoko Ponsar
Megumi Sakae
Aya Sakai
Tatsu Sasaki
Maile Schrader
Deanna Scott
Janelle Sheldon
Tsuyoshi Shimura
Barry & Lisa Shirota
Yoshimi Soeda-Chang
Yuko Takahashi
Kiyoshi & Yoko Takano
Giselle Takara
Marino Takara
Kaori Takayama
Yuki Tamata
Tory Tamayose
Naoka Tamura
Jon & Naomi Taniguchi
Asako Tookes
Yusaku Toyoshima
Blake & Stacie Tsuha
Kenya & Jennifer Ueno
Robert & Eva UeuntenTamara Ulfert
Shirley Unebasami
Roy & Heidi Uratsuka
Stanley & Nadine Uratsuka
Tyler & Noriko Utsuki
Mayumi Villanueva
H A W A I I K O T O HI R A J I NS HA

MAHALOVOLUNTEERS
Keiko Doughty
Alyssa Fujihara
Gayle Fujihara
Bryson Goda
Yasumi Gojo
Miyoko Hanahara
Bob Harada
Stacie Hata
Arthur Isa
Arthur Isa Jr.
Lorraine Kadota
Kamehameha
SchoolsElaine Komatsu
Marilyn Naitoh
Shinken Naitoh
Diane Nishida
Jill NishidaDiane Ogasawara
Kei Sakamoto
Bethany Schwartz
Yukiko Shishido
Yuko Takahashi
Naomi Teramoto
Sharon TomaDiane Wachi-Ohira
Seiko Wang
Keith& Hitomi Watanabe
Takuya Watanabe
Yuuki Williams
Shannon Wright
Greg Yamasaki
Yoshinori Yamashita
Doreen Yamauchi
Yasue Yawataya
Satomi Yu
Cammie Yee
Misaki Yokokura
Aya Yoshida
Frances Yuan-Hayashi
H A W A I I D A Z A I F U T E NM A N G U

Tree Trimming

Michi & Katsu’s Blessing

The overgrownficus trees on
the H-1 side of
the shrine wastrimmed on
November 8 by
Sherwood TreeTrimming
Service.
Michi and Katsu were blessed by Rev Masa Takizawa
in a private ceremony. Get well soon!

Congratulations
Below is a thank you letter received from a student in Japan whovisited the shrine with his family and received an ema, Education
omamori and personal protection omamori on March 23, 2013.
The student wrote to say that he was accepted to Kyoto University,
known for their incredibly difficult entrance exam. Congratulations!!!

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 8

Blessing of theOmamori
In a solemn ceremony conducted
on November 6, Rev. Takizawa
blessed 350 omamori amulets handcrafted by Hospice Hawaii volunteers.
The special omamori will be given
to hospice patients undergoing palliative care.

Page 3

A Piece of History
After the war, the shrine faced
another crisis on June 1, 1948, whenfederal officers raided the shrine underthe “Trading with the Enemy Act
1917”, making arrests and seizing theKotohira Jinsha property.
On March 4, 1949, an announcement for the sale of the Kotohira Jinsha
property appeared on local newspapers.
The shrine immediately solicited theservices of the law firm, Robertson,
Castle & Anthony and filed a suit onApril 4, 1949 against U.S. Attorney
General Tom C. Clark, the State ofHawaii and the Federal Alien Land
Office for infringement of First
Amendment rights, misusing Section 9of the Trading with the Enemy Act
against a civilian organization not under the influence of the Japanese government and damages for wrongful
seizure and detention.
President Harry Truman appointed
Senator J. Howard McGrath, Attorney
General of the U.S. on August 24, 1949
and Kotohira Jinsha's lawsuit against
the Attorney General's office became
known as Kotohira Jinsha vs McGrath.
The case was heard in District
Court on May 17, 1950 and a favorable
ruling fort the shrine was made on May18, 1950 by Judge Frank McLaughlin.
The shrine was able to continue allactivities on their property in Kapalama. Members jubilantly celebrated theAutumn Thanksgiving Festival on Sunday, October 29, 1950, nine long years
since the last festival in 1941.
The lawsuit by Kotohira Jinsha was
the first ever initiated by a JapaneseAmerican organization in the history of the U.S., paving the way
for similar lawsuits by other JAorganizations.
On July 31, 1965, a Kensho
Kinenhi stone memorial waserected in honor of shrine members who persisted against overwhelming odds in a lawsuit
against discrimination by the Federal Government.
It was also meant to serve as aconstant reminder of the hardships

and indignities suffered at thehands of a nation misguided bywartime hysteria, racial prejudice
and fear.
To mark the start of a new beginning, Kotohira Jinsha officiallychanged its name to Hawaii
Kotohira Jinsha on May 11,
1951. New By-laws were adopted
and membership once again flourished as all activities werere-established with the return ofRev. Misao Isobe in 1952.

Ceremony performed on Saturday, July 31, 1965 by Rev. Kunisuke Sakai to commemorate the shrine’s victory and to express gratitude to those who were instrumental
in initiating measure for the return of the shrine property