Haw aii Kotoh ira Jin sh a - Haw aii Dazaifu Ten m an gu
May 2023

The shrine welcomed Governor Seitaro Hattori and a delegation of 38 assemblymen,
cabinet officials and staff members from the Fukuoka Prefectural government

CALENDAR

MAHALO
Dazaifu Tenmangu

Steve Miwa

JUNE

Bill & Keiko Doughty

Kaori Miyatake

3Bryson & Reiko Goda

Shinken & Marilyn Naitoh

1 pm
Chinowa cleanup & preparations

Shin Xong & Yuki Ho

Craig & Diane Nishida

Chad Iha

Akiko Sanai

4

Rodney & Sharon Isa

Chad & Karisa Sano

9:30 am - 1 pmChinowa for People & PetsJames & Melba Kurashige

Gary & Linda Shinsato

Bryant Lau

Robert Stallings

Look Ohana

Tei Takizawa

Yae Miko

Bent Uyehara

Traditions
deepen roots,
strengthen life,and express
appreciation

Bill Doughty

JULY
1 - 7 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Tanabata Wish Tags available inshrine

CHINOWA FOR PEOPLE & PETS
2Come celebrate all creatures at our annual
Chinowa for People & Pets.
On Ju n e 4, leashed or caged pets and theirpeople of all faiths are welcome for acomplimentary blessing steeped in ancienttradition.
Reservations are not required.

2 pm
Tsukinamisai Monthly Service

AUGUST
51 pm
Back to School Blessing Cleanup& Preparations

Visit our website at www.jinja.us

Haw aii - Fukuoka Sister State Relation sh ip
Throughout the years, the State ofHawaii has established closeworking relationships with foreign
governments and federal agencies,
non- governmental organizations
and national organizations.

city relationships between Hawaiiand Japan.
2021 marked the 40th year,
however due to COVID, thecelebrations were postponed to alater date.

These relationships serve to raiseHawaii's profile internationally,
attract cooperative programs andstimulate our economy.
In November 1979, the Japan American Conference of Mayors
and Chamber of Commerce
Presidents held a meeting inFukuoka City, Japan where a sisterstate relations between Hawaii andFukuoka was suggested.
On September 25, 1981 Governor
George Ariyoshi and Governor
Hikaru Kamei signed documents
establishing the first sister-state
relationship for Hawaii.
There are now 24 sister state andPrefectural Assembly members andCity Council members.
Mahalo nui to the 7 miko andpriests from Dazaifu Tenmangu forassisting Rev. Takizawa.
A delegation of over a 100 people
from Fukuoka arrived on 4/19,
which included 7 priest and mikofrom Dazaifu Tenmangu.
on 4/20, the shrine welcomed 39
members of the delegation
including Governor Seitaro Hattori,

GOKITO Private Blessin gs
M ENPre Yaku
24 40 60
Major Yaku
25 42 61
Post Yaku
26 43 62

Yakudoshi or Challenging Years are said tohold many physical and emotional
challenges, especially Dai-Yaku or Major
Yaku years which are 42 for men and 33
for women.

WOM EN

Crisis is an opportunity for growth andYakudoshi is a time to look within oneself,
recognize and acknowledge the changes,
take stock of your life and set new goals.
Congratulations on the birth of your little
Contactthe shrine for a Blessing treasure!
preferably before your birthday.

19 33 61

Pre Yaku
18 32 60
Major Yaku

Post Yaku
20 34 62

Congratulations on the birth of your little
bundles of joy!

A 50th day memorial service
was conducted for a shrine
friend on May 23.

Also conducted was theGoshi-sai, a rite marking thedeceased's joining with theirancestral spirits.
Big Congratulations to Shania Reverio(shrine dancer) on an awesome feat!
Shania made a hole in one at Ted
Makalena's 4th hole (Par 3, 120 yards)
using a 6-iron.
A "hole in one" occurs when a golfer
hits their ball into the cup on the green
with just one stroke.
It's the most exciting thing for a golfer
during a round of golf !!!

A temporary altar was set up inthe area between the twoshrines.

TANGO NO SEKKU - Boy's Day
Tango no Sekku or Boy's
Day is a celebration heldon the 5th day of the 5thmonth.
"Tan" of Tango ? ?
means the "beginning.""Go" of Tango was?
originally written using
the character for "five."
Thus, Tango ? ? ?
referred to the first dayof the Horse, which was
the 5th day of the 5thmonth.

with yomogi mugwort
and shobu iris leaves tosymbolically purify
themselves before
spending the night
together in a special
shack.
Rice planting wasconsidered a sacredactivity and rice a sacredgift from the kami - - onethat sustains life forhumans.

Tango was originally aritual for girls to purify
themselves prior toplanting rice.

It wasn't until the Edoperiod (1603 - 1867) that
Tango no Sekku became acelebration for boys of
the warrior class.

Rice planting wasperformed in early May
and the girls took baths

A dessert called Kashiwa
mochi is usually eaten
on Boy's Day.

The tradition of eating
Kashiwa mochi is said tohave begun around 1860in the Tokyo area.
Kashiwa mochi is a mochi
filled with red bean paste
and wrapped in a
Kashiwa (JapaneseEmperor Oak) leaf.
The Kashiwa leaf
symbolizes numerous
descendants. Thus theleaves were used by thesamurai families so theywould be blessed withmale heirs.

This is the 28th year that
Koi Nobori were billowing
above the shrine incelebration of Tango noSekku or Boy's Day. Carps
are flown in hopes thatchildren will be spirited,courageous anddetermined like the carpsthat swim upstream.

GOLDEN W EEKGolden Week is a cluster ofholidays that is observed from 4/29
to 5/5. The holidays celebrated
during Golden week are:
SHOWA DAY - Apr il 29
Showa Day honors the birthday ofthe late Emperor Hirohito who
reigned during the Showa Period.
CONSTITUTION M EM ORIAL DAY M ay 3This day celebrates the day that theConstitution of Japan was exactedin 1947.
GREENERY DAY - M ay 4
Greenery Day is a day dedicated tonature. Along with the changes in
the law regarding Japanese nationalholidays, the day and name werechanged to Greenery Day.

CHILDREN'S DAY - M ay 5celebrated in art.

Children's Day celebrates thehealth and happiness of allchildren. The original holiday was
Tango no Sekku or Boy's Day.

The history of travel in Japan dates
back to 700 CE. The two oldest
continuously running ryokans in theworld are: Nishiyama Onsen
Kei-unkan in Yamanashi which wasfounded in 705 and Hoshi Ryokan
in Ishikawa Prefecture, founded in718.

It is said that about 40% of the total
population travels domestically andinternationally during GoldenWeek.
Ernest Satow wrote in his memoir"A Diplomat in Japan" (1921) that
the Japanese are great travelers.
"Ever since the third Tokugawa
shogun (Iemitsu) established therule that each daimyo must pass a
portion of the year in Edo, the great
highroads had become importantmeans of internal communication,"
Satow continues. The most famousof those Great highroads, theTokaido was much traveled and

There are travel guides from the
8th century that documents travel
for tourists, specialties of thetownship, omiyage souvenirs thatone must purchase and rest stops
that serve special drinks andsnacks.
For the Japanese, Omiyage
souvenirs were an integral part of
the travel experience - tangible
memories that they were able toshare with family and friends.

COVID em ergen cy in th e US en ds on May 11, 2023
After a three-year long publichealth emergency, the Health andHuman Services Department (HHS)
laid out the changes that will takeplace after May 11.

IM M EDIATE CHANGES- People with private healthinsurance may have to pay for
COVID tests, both over the counterand lab, depending on theirinsurance plan.
- Seniors with Medicare Part B will
start paying for over-the-counter
tests, though the program will
cover lab tests- Hospitals will lose flexibility toexpand capacity in response tosurges.
- The federal government can nolonger require labs to report COVID

test results to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention.

LONGER-TERM CHANGES- COVID vaccines and antiviralssuch as Paxlovid will remain free toeveryone regardless of insurance
status until the current federal
stockpile runs out.
- Expanded telehealth throughMedicare will also remain in placethrough December 2024 underfederal spending legislation passed
in December. However, it will end
after that without congressional
intervention.
The Food and Drug Administration
will still have the authority to
rapidly authorize COVID vaccines,
tests and treatments through its
separate emergency powers.

Millions of people are also at risk oflosing health insurance throughout
Medicaid this year as federal
protections that kept people
covered during the pandemic cometo an end.
These protections were once tied
to public health emergencies, but
Congress then decided to phasethat out separately.
Thus, States can start kicking
people off Medicaid as early as
April 2023 if they no longer meet
eligibility requirements for the
public health insurance program.
The Health and Human Services
Department plans to open a
special enrollment period so these
individuals can apply for coveragethrough the Affordable Care Act.