A Remembrance forMother’s Day and Memorial Day
Rinban Kenjun Kawawata‘wa’harmony

Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

5May 2018

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii
At Higashi Hongwanji, we remaintrue to our origins
as an open Sangha, welcoming
anyone who wishes to learn more
about the Jodo Shinshu
tradition of Buddhism.
A registered 501(c)3 organization
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Minister: Koen Kikuchi
President: Faye Shigemura
Vice President: Jonathan Tani
Secretary: Debra Saiki
Treasurer: Edmund Nakano
Asst. Sec’y & Auditor: Ken Saiki
1685 Alaneo Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
Tel: (808) 531-9088
Fax: (808) 531-3265
Email: betsuin@hhbt-hi.org
Wa is published monthly byHigashi Hongwanji Missionof Hawaii for its members
and friends. Comments,
articles and other items for
publication consideration
are welcomed.
Editor: Ken Saiki

In May we celebrate Mother’s Day and also observe Memorial Day. Bothoccasions are very important and give us a chance to think about ourindividual lives.
Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held amemorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, WestVirginia. So Mother’s Day, celebrated today in the U.S. on the second Sunday inMay, actually began with a memorial service.
Memorial Day has been traced by some accounts back to June 3, 1861 in
Warren, Virginia, where the first grave of a Civil War soldier was decorated
with flowers. After World War I, the Decoration Day custom expanded fromhonoring soldiers who died in the Civil War to all Americans who diedfighting in any war.
Today, Memorial Day has become a national holiday observed on the last
Monday in May, when many people visit cemeteries and memorials to pay
respects to their beloved ones who have passed away.
In that sense, it is similar to Obon and Ohigan, whenpeople in Japan honor all ancestors and observe services
and have the opportunity to listen to the Buddha
Dharma. We should make Memorial Day an occasion forlistening to the Buddha’s teachings in Hawaii too.
The Memorial Day weekend, many people go to thecemetery or to the temple. A cemetery is a good place todo meditation as it’s very quiet, wide open and peaceful.
Cemeteries in Hawaii are very beautiful places. At thegravesite, you remember your beloved ones, express your Rinban Ken Kawawata
gratitude and think about your life. This is what meditation is.
Buddhist temples had their beginning from the gravesite of Shakyamuni
Buddha. When Shakymuni Buddha died, his disciples and followers got
together to hold a funeral service and cremation. After dividing the Buddha’s
ashes into four, they took them to where the sangha gathered. They built asmall tower called a stupa and put Buddha’s ashes in it.
Whenever they had gatherings or remembrances, they clustered aroundthis small stupa, which eventiually became the temple, a place to listen andstudy the Buddha Dharma. That’s how Buddha’s gravesite became the originof the Buddhist temple. Our Higashi Honganji headquarters was started from
Shinran Shonin’s gravesite, too.
For Buddhists, gravesites and cemeteries are not just a place to bury ourGoing to the cemetery and coming to the temple have the same meaning,which is to listen to the Buddha Dharma for our meaningful and peaceful lives.
We can listen and receive many teachings through people who died before us.
My mother died in 1976. However, her teachings and discipline are still withme. I still remember her delicious meals. When I cook something, I try to make(cont’d on p. 2)

SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICES FOR MAY

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii (Betsuin)
May 6
10 am
Shotsuki Memorial Service
May 1310 am
Mother’s Day Family ServiceMay 20
10 am
Shinran Shonin Birthday ServiceMay 27
10 am
All Wars Memorial ServiceMother’s Day & Memorial Day (cont’d from p. 1)
it to close to my mother’s taste. My tongue still remembers
her taste, which means her life exists in my own being.
As a tribute to Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, I’dlike to share with you a poem by Rev. Haya Akegarasu.
expressing his gratitude and love for his mother. Rev.
Akegarasu (1877-1954) was head of administration ofHigashi Honganji and a major inspiration to the formationof the Dobokai movement.

From his poem My Mother, I can see we had similiar
experiences and feelings about our mothers. I truly
appreciate my mother’s patience, understanding andlove for me and my siblings.
On the occasion of Mothers Day and Memorial
Day this year, please express our thanks to mothers
everywhere and all those who came before us. Throughyour remembrance, please hear the teaching of Buddha
and Shinran Shonin with the Nembutsu.

otherMy M
Akegarasu
by Rev. Haya

virtues,
e to praise my mother ’slifmyoftresethforThough I may try
express them all.
I haven’t enough time toer loved me absolutely;
No one except my mothe same way.
lf, loved my mother in th
And no one except mysemother loved me blindly.
Like a blind person, myther.
My mother, my dear mosimply this:My mother ’s virtue was r childheTo love her husband ande.
More than anything els
mothers,of people and billions ofThough there are billions
ubtedly the best.
My own mother is undother,rs?”
One day I asked my mo
I gave you a million dolla“What would you do if”
ve it right back to you.
She replied, “I would giaway,
After my mother passed
find her;toI searched and searchedand finally I found her,ing.
I found her in my own be
d me completely,
Only my mother truste
od and bad.
beyond judgments of go
How I long for her!
,ds from around the world
foosioulicdedstetave
I ha
d truly delicious
But for me, the only foo
prepared for me.
are the meals my motherLet my life shine out!
the blood and tears
For it was nurtured with ishment.
of my mother as its nour
ny other children
Even though there are ma much as I love mine;as
who love their mothers
renther who loves their childmor
there can be no othe
es me.
as much as my mother lovo Saito—Translation by Rev.

2Gyok

Mother's DayFamily Service
Sunday, May 13, 2018
10:00 a.m.
Message : Mrs. Fay Uyema

母の日家族礼拝２０１8年５月１3日
午前１０時

メッセージ：上間フェイ

氏Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo St., Honolulu, HI 96817
Telephone (808) 531-9088

3

News on theBetsuin Wireless

Betsuin supports recovery projectfor Fukushima young people

Dr. Haneda delivers the dharma message
at the Betsuin Sunday service on April 15.

Joint Higashi-Nishi Hongwanji
seminar facilitated by Dr. Haneda
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor
gloom of night could stay Dr. Nobuo
Haneda from the swift completion of
his appointed rounds.
Taking a page out of the U.S.
Postal Service manual, Dr. Haneda,
director of the Maida Center of
Buddhism in Berkeley, dutifullycompleted his five-part joint
Buddhist seminar on one of therainiest weekends ever in Hawaii.
The seminar, held Friday eveningon Apr. 13 and all day Saturday, wassponsored by Higashi and Honpa
Hongwanji at the Buddhist StudyCenter on University Ave.
Then on Sunday, Dr. Haneda wasinvited to deliver the dharma
message at the Betsuin at its
regular Sunday service. To thedelight of the several members inattendance whose first language isJapanese, Dr. Haneda’s talk waspresented first in English, then in
Japanese, with some added
anecdotes the second time around.
Though the rain might have
hampered some of his anticipatedweekend leisure-time activities, Dr.
Haneda was able to enjoy fellowshipwith Betsuin members and have his
favorite Hawaiian food specialties:
ahi poke and boiled peanuts!

4

Mahalo to all who came to the
March 26 Otani Center welcoming of
the six Fukushima youths in Hawaii
for a week’s rest and recuperation.
Thanks also to those who made foodand cash donations.
Four nursing students and twoelementary-age brothers split theirstay between the Leeward andWindward coasts with visits to places
such as the Waianae Comprehensive
Health Center, sightseeing spots andbeaches. Activitity details will bechronicled in a forthcoming issue ofthe Hawaii District newsletter.
Before they returned to Japan, thefour nursing students—Ayami Asagi,Shiori Azuma, Minon Endo andToshimi Endo—described their 3/11
experiences to the HBC Buddha Day
service attendees at Soto Mission.

Gentlemen, start your ovens!

played the leading role as the bigoted
Lt. Michael Grayson, and kotonk Henry
Nakamura, who provided comic relief
as the hapless Pvt. Tommy Kamakura.
A story of the AJA 442nd
Regimental Combat Team thatclimaxes with the rescue of the “LostBattalion,” the film was a popularand critical success, combining
comedy, pathos and battle action.
Go for Broke! set a precedent infeaturing AJAs as the good guys.
Most roles were, in fact, played by
Nisei 442nd veterans.
OK, so it’s a black-and-white film.
And there aren’t any subtitles to help
you with words like “bakatare” orpidgin inside jokes. But if you haven’t
seen the movie in the last 60+ years
or missed it the first time around,here’s your chance to see why it was
nominated for Best Screenplay at the1951 Academy Awards. After themovie we can discuss deep topics

As many of you are aware, as asalute to moms everywhere, it’s aBetsuin tradition for the temple men toprepare the meal after our Mother’s
Day family service.
So all you men, here’s a reminder:
Mother’s Day is May 13 so start
thinking of what you plan to bring. It
might be a good idea to huddle withthe other guys before then so that not
everyone is preparing 9”x13” casserole
dishes of baked school-style spaghetti.
Also, if you plan to purchase yourcontribution to the buffet table, let’s
not all show up with identical orders ofPizza Hut cheese pizzas with anchovies.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Don’t forget that the kitchen needs tobe cleaned up afterwards, too!

Go for Broke!, a memorial to thefamed 442nd RCT, is May movie

Who among us old-timer locals
doesn’t vividly remember the Go forBroke! premiere at the Waikiki Theatre
in 1951? This 9-year-old was in awe as
the crisscrossing searchlight beams
lit up the sky and thousands cameto gawk at star Van Johnson, whosuch as war, racial conflict, forced
internment and where the word
“kotonk” originated!
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tuesday,May 22, 90 min. Monochrome.
Audio: English. Free admission. Light
refreshments, or bring to share!

Tanjo-e Service
In celebration of the birth of Shinran Shonin

Hatsumairi Ceremony
Held in conjunction with Tanjo-e Service

Sunday May 20, 2018 10:00 am
English Message : Rev. Koen Kikuchi

親鸞聖人誕生会
新生児初参り法要２０１8 年５月 20 日 午前１０時
日本語法話：河和田賢淳 輪番

A ceremony for infants and children up to 6 years of age who shallbe presented initially before the Buddha. It signifies the foundation
towards a spiritual life. Please fill out the application form and sendback to the temple office.
初参りは、新しいいのちの誕生を祝う儀式です。６才までのお子さんを受け付け致します。お早めにお寺まで申し込んでください。

Child's Name
BirthdayAgeSex

M F

Parent's Name
AddressCityState

Zip

Telephone

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo St., Honolulu, HI 96817
Telephone (808) 531-9088

5It used to be that parents of girls
born in May would often givethe name “May” to their newborn.
Today you won’t find too many girls
named May, as that kind of naming
convention isn’t very common any
more. Now it seems most little girls
are Emma, Madison, Mia, Riley orChloe. Or if they’re boys, let meguess. Are you Noah, Liam, Ethan,Logan or Luke?
Most Japanese probably can tell
you that May in the old lunar calendar
was called Satsuki (五月). Girls and boys
born during the 5th month would
sometimes be given that poetic name.
Similarly, the pre-Meiji era name forthe third month was Yayoi (弥生), so
it was a common name given to girls
born in March.
Perhaps not as universally known
is that the feminine names Fumiko,
Yōko and Nagako are also derived
from ancient names of months.
July was formerly known as 文月,Fumizuki, or “book month,” Augustwas 葉月, Hazuki, or “leaf month” andSeptember was 長月, Nagatsuki, or“long month.”
In case you’re wondering howHazuki is related to Yōko, well, “yō” isthe on-yomi reading of “ha,” as in 紅葉,kōyō, or “autumn (leaf) colors.”

The Okakura daughters, Satsuki & Yayoi infront and Nagako Yōko & Fumiko in back, werenamed after their birth months. TBS photo6

And if the names Satsuki, Yayoi,Fumiko, Yōko and Nagako soundfamiliar as a group, you might berecalling the long-running dramaseries, Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari, or
Making It Through on KIKU-TV.
Satsuki, played by Izumi
Pinko, was the Koraku restaurant
proprietress constantly hassled byher mother-in-law. Yayoi was her
eldest sister, a stay-at-home wife
until her husband retired and started
being at home all the time. Fumiko
was the travel agent, Yōko, thedesigner and Nagako, the translator
married to Dr. Honma. All of theOkakura daughters had birthdays intheir namesake months.
In the years just prior to WorldWar II—the early Showa era—themost popular girls’ names in Japan
were Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko,Hiroko and Hisako. The “-ko” ending
has since diminished in popularityand girls today are more likely tohave names like Hana, Himari, Akari,
Ichika and Sara. An interesting
trend among some young womenwith older-sounding names is tochange the spelling in romaji. An
old-fashioned Yoko, for example, canbecome a stylish Yoco.
Popular in Japan is giving children
a “kirakira name” (キラキラネーム),
or an unconventional name that“glitters” and stands out. A single
kanji can have multiple meanings
and pronunciations, so when it
is paired with another kanji, youcould end up with dozens ofdifferent glittery combinations.
For example, one of the fouryoung femaie nursing students whovisited us last month as part of theHigashi Hongwanji Hawaii District
Fukushima Children’s Recovery Project
was named 美音 (みのん) or Minon.
Written in kanji, 美音, or utsukushii

oto, means “beautiful sound” andisn’t an especially unusual name. The
combination, however, can be readin various other ways—perhaps themost common being Mine—butalso Mio, Mion, Minon, Mito, Mioto,Minori, Miune, Biune and more. In fact,Japanese baby names are said to havemore variety than any other language.
These variations are similar to how thename Kira in the U.S. is also sometimes
seen as Kyra, Keira, Kiera, Keera, Kyrah,Chyrah, etc.
Back to our friend Minon (美音),
if her parents were “brand” accessory
fans, they might have opted toread it as Biton—as in Vuitton. Or
taking “beautiful sound” literally,
they might have decided on Bīto =Beat, instead (well, maybe for a boy).
Taking kirakira-naming even further,
one might consider reading the kanji
characters as Rizumu = Rhythm, orPiano or even Melody! As you might
guess, many traditionalists don’t
especially like where this is going.
MOST POPULAR JAPANESE NAMES
YEAR
1915
1925
1935
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015

BOYS
KiyoshiKiyoshi
Hiroshi
MasaruTakashi
MakotoMakotoDaisuke
TakuyaRiku
HarutoGIRLS
Chiyo
Sachiko
KazukoKazukoYoko
Akemi
KumikoAi
MisakiHina
Hana

In Hawaii quaint Meiji-era
names, such as Chiyo, Tsuru orHinaye, are often seen as middle
names for Japanese-American girls.
Or Tadashi, Kiyoto or Kakuji forboys. While old-fashioned, the timehonored names are usually selectedby parents as a respectful tribute to
the children’s grandparents or othermembers of the family. After all,okagesama de, we are what we arebecause of them. What better way
to show gratitude and reverence
than to perpetuate their names andmemory for a lifetime!
— Ken Saiki

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Honolulu, HIPermit No. 693

Address Service Requested

In this issue of WA...
t.PUIFST%BZ.FNPSJBM%BZp. 1t .PUIFST%BZGBNJMZTFSWJDFp. 3t/FXTPOUIF#FUTVJO8JSFMFTTp. 4t%S)BOFEBMFBETTFNJOBSp. 4t.PUIFST%BZTFSWJDFMVODIp. 4t.PWJFGo For Broke! (1951) p. 4t Tanjo-e service/Hatsumairi p. 5t8IBUTJOB/BNF p. 6t Acknowledgments p. 7t May shōtsuki service p. 7tTemple activities calendar p. 8

Temple Activities Calendar
5/6
5/6
5/85/10
5/13
5/15
5/20
5/20
5/20
5/21
5/22
5/22
5/27
5/28

64MAY

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki service/Sunday school
Sun 12 pm The Larger Sutra study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceThu 7 pm The Larger Sutra study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am Mother’s Day family service/
Sunday school
Men prepare otoki and clean up
Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
Sun 10 am Shinran Shōnin birthday service/
Sunday schoolSun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Folding class
Led by Jeanne Kawawata @ Otani Center
Mon 9 am HBC Memorial Day service
Punchbowl National Memorial CemeteryTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceTue 6:30 pm Movie night: Go for Broke! (1951)
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am All Wars Memorial service/
Sunday school
Mon 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service

6/3
6/3
6/4
6/9
6/10
6/10
6/12
6/14
6/17
6/17
6/18
6/19
6/24
6/26
6/26
6/28

JUNE

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki service/Sunday school
Sun 12 pm The Larger Sutra study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference RoomMon 10 am Betsuin study class
Sat 10 am Oahu MAP class
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am Sunday service/Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Folding classTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceThu 7 pm The Larger Sutra study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am Father’s Day family service/
Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meetingMon 10 am Betsuin study classTue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
Sun 10 am Local Dharma gathering
led by Rev. Noriaki Fujimori
Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceTue 6:30 pm Movie night: Harmonium (2017)
Fukuhara Conference RoomThu 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service

Everyone is welcome to join the morning chanting held at 7 am daily (except on Sundays & the 28th day of the month) in the Betsuin main hall.

5