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U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Honolulu, HI
Permit No. 693

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

BON DANCE BLESSINGS

Address Service Requested

In this issue of WA...

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Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

8

August 2015

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
AUGUST 2015
8/2
8/2
8/2
8/8
8/9
8/11
8/13
8/16
8/16
8/18
8/23
8/25
8/25
8/28
8/30

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service(Rinban Kawawata) & Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in JapaneseOtani Center
Sun 12 pm Jimmy’s Auto Basics
led by Jimmy Hirakawa
Fukuhara Conference RoomSat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceThu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meetingTue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceTue 6:30 pm Movie night: Baraka
Fri 10 am Onicchu Shinran Shonin service
Sun 10 am BBQ chicken & sushi saleOtani Center

SEPTEMBER 2015
9/6
9/6
9/8
9/10
9/12
9/13
9/15
9/20
9/20
9/27
9/28
9/29
9/29

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service(Rinban Kawawata)
Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 3 pm Ukulele practiceThu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference RoomSat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
Sun 10 am Ohigan service
Guest speaker: Rev. Toshiyuki Umitani
Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 10 am Onicchu Shinran Shonin service
Tue 3 pm Ukulele practiceTue 6:30 pm Movie night: TBA

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

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
President: Faye Shigemura
Vice President: Jonathan Tani
Secretary: Debra Saiki
Treasurer: Edmund Nakano
Auditor: Ken Saiki
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Associate Minister:Frank Childs
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 SaikiW

hen first arriving at the temple on Friday morning, strong winds were
mercilessly swirling around the hanging lanterns. Uh-oh, I thought,
same thing may happen this year as happened last year when a downpour
stopped the dancing 30 minutes early.
But nothing of the kind. We had perfect weather. It surely must havebeen the dozens of teru-teru bozu worn by every member of the Honolulu
Fukushima Bon Dance Club that did the trick during the two nights of ourobon festivities. There wasn’t enough rain to quench the thirst of a single
gecko. Where are the naysayers who believe teru-teru
bozu don’t work?? Blessing #1.
Harada NaoAtsusa Kai
members were delighted
that dancers joined in to
their live performance music,
which normally is heard
from prerecorded sources.
The group is comprised ofsingers and musicians who
found their passion in folk
and classical music of Japan.
Atsuko Nonaka, the shihan of Dancing to live muisc performed by Harada NaoAtsusa Kai.
the group, along with these
performers, had an extremely successful fundraising concert in June with
noted singers and musicians from Japan to help raise funds for the Tohoku
tsunami disaster relief. Blessing #2.
Our obon festivities have always been very well attended, but in thepast two years, we have seen many new faces. We humbly like to thinkthat this newfound popularity is because of the magnetic personalities ofour members and volunteers, but truthfully, it’s more likely the FOOD...thehighlight of every bon danceacross the state!
Our “chefs” are from Hawaii
and Japan, and they are seniors…I
mean traditional. This is a very
important component of the foodoffered at bon dances. As withmany temples across the state, we
prefer to prepare familiar, tasty
selections. Andagi, dango jiru,
somen, nishime, zenzai, shave
Bon dance food has that nostalgic, old-time taste. ice, BBQ sticks, along with thestandard hot dogs and saimin, they all scream BON DANCE! Blessing #3.
As the national bon dance capital, and possibly of the world, Hawaii
is probably the only state to have so many bon dance clubs. Thanks to them,(cont’d on p. 2)

BON DANCE (cont’d from p. 1)

the color and excitement typical ofbon dances add to the success of thenight. What is not evident is the hard
work that every club goes throughevery year. Each club maintains andprovides instructions to its musicians
and dancers. New music and dances
are taught, practice sessions held,
and that’s just the beginning.
Honolulu Fukushima Bon
Dance Club provides the yagura

Honolulu Fukushima Bon Dance Club’s yagura &folk musicians are a fixture at many bon dances.

(tower) to many temples. They
design, build, maintain, transport,
all the while insuring the safetyof everyone who uses the yagura.
This yagura is approximately 10feet by 10 feet square, and at least
20 feet tall. Doesn’t fit in a garage
or storage facility, so where do you
store this important part of theobon festivities, especially during
non-obon season? A corner of the
Betsuin parking lot!

The Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai also
faces storage and transportation
problems for its large drum, in
addition to conducting practicesessions and taking care of thenormal work that goes into
maintaining a club with meetingsand legal and non-legal paper
work. Both organizations are asked
to perform throughout the year inother festivals.
We also enjoy the senior bondance clubs such as the Koolau groupfrom Kaneohe, who started up as asenior club, and meet regularly forexercise, for camaraderie, and is an
important and familiar part of theobon season.
The newest group to join our
festivities is the Ryukyukoku Matsuri
Daiko Hawaii, a lively group of
performers from young children toseasoned adults. They add a highlevel of excitement only able to begenerated through their youthfuldedication. These groups together
make up our Blessing #4.
The members of Higashi
Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
Betsuin can be proud of theirtemple. The Board of Directors dotheir best to maintain a safe andwelcoming place for much morethan our annual obon festivities.
We have two major fundraisers,
and observe Hanamatsuri, Ohigan,
Hoonko and Bodhi Day annually, in
addition to other special projects
such as the Tohoku disaster funddrive. We receive constant support
from our members and friends,
who help to make this temple
the strong organization that it isMahaloGozaimasu.&.03*"- '6/&3"- */63/.&/5#63*"-4&37*$&
Carol Matsunaga
Frances Maekawa
Keizaburo Tsuji
Noriki Hirokawa
Yaji Kawakami Family

Chiyo Maekawa
Gladys Murakami
Konrad Ikeda
Patricia Hirata

Ellen Miyashiro
Iris Kubota
M. Saruwatari
Shirley Nishizawa,:0%"/%0/"5*0/(including Otani Center, nokotsudo, altar supplies, parking)
Ann Kaneshiro
AnonymousAnonymous
Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai Robert/Edwina Takayama Wallace/Sue Yashima
Allen Walterman
Briana Sugai
Craig Okazaki
Ray/Fay Uyema
The Aikido Ohana
Edwin Shirabe)"546#0/

Betty Nishida
Katherine ImaiPaul Umemoto(0+*,"*%6&4
Faye Shigemura

David Fujihara
Kathryn Okazaki
Peggy Arita

Kazuto Shimizu

Gladys Murakami
Keizaburo Tsuji
Roy NakamotoMarilyn Kuroda

today. The obon season is by far themost popular activity of the year.
Thank you all for your generosity
throughout the years. Blessing #5.
Of course, there are many more
blessings we can all come up withthat haven’t been addressed above.
Please tell us of your blessings, so we
can share them with other members
through this Wa newsletter.
Arigato gozaimashita to
everyone, Bon or No, Bonno.
— Faye Shigemura

Dancers, young and old, representing a cross-section of the community, turn out for our annual bon odori. Photos courtesy of Ken Kawawata & Ken Saiki

Ethel Shishido
John Ishikawa
Myrtle Tanaka
Ted Tetsuo Ishii FamilyHelen Suzuki
Paul Fujimoto
Tadao Iwasaki

Jonathan Tani
Lynn Murakami-Akatsuka

Anonymous
Betty Miyazaki
Walter Yamada
Uptown Gracie Jiujitsu LLC Bunkichi/Kiyoko Shojinaga Family
Jonathan Tani
Quin/Gail Ogawa
Premium-One Limousine
Uptown Gracie Jiujitsu LLC
Haruo Tanida
Ken Shoda
Sachiko Yoshino'-03"-"33"/(&.&/54

Joyce Masaki

Arlene Ebisuya
Carol Matsunaga
Dr. Edward Kaneshige
Eric Osaki
G. J. TanoueGrace Nomura
Hideo Imoto
Jan Lee
Joanne Ninomiya
Kazuto Shimizu
Lorelei Fukuda
Michael Sawai
Natalie Matsuzaki
Paul Umemoto
Sachiko Yoshino

Arlene Yoneyama
Atsuko Nonaka
Catherine Moribe
Charlene Watanabe
Edith Endo
Edmund Kawakone
Faye Shigemura
Florence Kanno
Gary/Joyce Kurihara Gayle Iizaki
Hajime Harauchi
Harriet Aoki
Hiroko Irene Nakahara Howard TakakiJane Naito
Jane Okazaki
Joyce Gushiken
Judy Goto
Keizaburo Tsuji
Ken/Gayle Shoda
Margaret Higa
Lynn Murakami-Akatsuka
Michele Matsuo
Mikiko Kishida
Nobu DavenportNoriyuki Fukuda
Peggy Arita
Robert/Christine Imoto
Sasayo Okazaki
Sharon Tanaka

Dennis/Debra Saiki
Jane Okazaki
Kumiko Sakai
Sandra Chun

Dr. Edward Kaneshige Evelyn McKeon
Janice Fukuda
Kazue Uechi
Margaret Matsuda
Millicent Yamamoto
Shigeru Gushikuma Tadao Iwasaki

The Aikido Ohana
Alan Nagahisa
Jan/David Nakashima FHS Class of ‘64
Roy/Karen Hatakeyama Selma Kelley
Patsy Chung
Lynn Shigemoto
Sheila Okamura
Pat Davison
Judy Greenwald
Craig/Veda Tokashiki
Karen Yabiku
John Shimizu
Barbara Takamoto
Faustine Miura
Wisdom Matsuzaki
Samuel Matsuzaki
Milton/Lani Hee
Betsy Tonda
Hawaii Air Gas
Ashley & Karli Yoshida Betty Nishida
Kenjun Kawawata
Chrislin Flores
Colleen Sakuma
Craig Kagawa
Dennis/Debra Saiki
Emiko Watanabe
Harada NaoAtsusa Kai Honolulu Fukushima Bon Dance Club
Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Jane Okazaki
Jeanne Kawawata
Jimmy Hirakawa with Flo John Ishikawa
Jonathan Tani
Karen’s friend
Kazue Uechi
Keith Ikeda
Ken/Kumiko Saiki
Kristi Nakano
Kumiko Sakai
Margaret Hamachi
Marilyn Kuroda
Michelle Amorin
Mike Leong
Pat(Suzuki)
Patricia Nitta
Ray/Fay Uyema
Frank Childs
Hiroko Maeda
Takafumi Bansaka
Susan Tanigawa
Tasha Firestone
Velma Nakahara
Wendy Kuwahara

Susan Kanemoto
Gayle Rich
Karen Yabiku
Joe/Alice Nunogawa
Koko Tamai
Kisa Tamai
Daryn Miura
Lori Matsuzaki
Debbie Glenn
Lanakila School
Carol Matsunaga
Carol Suzuki
Edmund/Diane Nakano Eleanor Tokunaga
RMD Hawaii
Higashi Trash Patrol
Jane Sasabuchi
HJJCC members
Joyce Masaki
Karen Kamihara
Kevin Kawawata
Kona Ice
Matsue YonekuraMichael Leong
Paul/Liane Briggs
Peggy Arita
Roy Nakamoto
Susan Ng
Ellie, Punkin and other canine friends

0#0/
Volunteers among our members and their families& friends, sister temples, martial arts groups
and others make the bon dances possible.

Emerick Konno
Jean Shishido
Myra Reyes
Roy Nakamoto

Minako Ito-Song

Anonymous
Akitoshi Nakahara
Ann Yasuda
Beatrice Nakano
Berhe Kawada
Betty Nishida
Chieko Sugimoto
Dennis/Debra Saiki
Dorothy Tanaka
Edmund/Diane Nakano Eiko Yoshida
Eleanor Tokunaga
Florence Sueyoshi
Frances Maekawa
Frances Makiyama
Gayle Rich
Gladys Murakami
Gladys Sakata
Harvey/Norma Shima Helen Suzuki
Herald/Hilda Takehiro
Ikuto Taketa
Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai Jamie Okazaki
Jean Hayashi
Joan Yoshino
JoAnn Kubota-Phung
June Omura
Karen Kamihara
Katherine Kurakake
Ken/Kumiko Saiki
Kikue Kaneshiro
Kimie Sugimoto
Marilyn Yonekura
Marion Kanemori
Marjorie Hosaka
Minako Ito-Song
Mitsue Ikari
Moriso Teraoka
P. M. Nagata
Papaya Press
Patricia Nitta
Robert/Edwina Takayama Roy/Pearl Kurihara
Ruriko Hayashi
Shirley Nishizawa
Takuo/Sadie Sakai
Wallace/Sue Yashimna

MANTO-E

Atsuko Nonaka
Faye Shigemura
Keizaburo Tsuji
Patricia Hirata
Walter Yamada

Kenjun Kawawata
David Fujihara
Grace Nomura
Iris Kubota
Ken/Kumiko Saiki
Kiyoshi Kami
Robert/Christine Imoto Sachiko Yoshino
Yuko Oshiro#0/%"/$&70-6/5&&34

2

Edith Tanida
Hatsuyo Yamashita
Lena Tanaka
Paul/Judith Tanaka

We gratefully acknowledge the following for their generous
contributions. If we’ve missed any donor’s name, please
accept our apologies and let us know by calling the Betsuin
at 531-9088 so we can make corrections to our records. For
donations of $250 or more, receipts/acknowledgment will be
issued in compliance with IRS regulations. For other amounts
receipts will not be issued unless requested. Thank you.

Appreciating
our roots

Following is a transcript of the lay
speaker message presented by Ken Saikiat the July 19 Sunday service.

L

ast week I missed Sunday service.
I’m here for service almost every
Sunday but instead, last week I was at
Ala Moana Park at the annual picnic
held by Takata Gunjinkai.
So what’s “Takata Gunjinkai”? Well,
most of you know what a kenjinkai
is. It’s an organization of people who
trace their roots to a particular ken, orprefecture, in Japan. The issei felt very
comfortable with others who spoke
the same dialect, ate the same kind offoods and laughed at the same jokes.
Members would help each other intimes of need and help them find jobs,
or even a husband or wife.
A gunjinkai is like a kenjinkai except
it represents a smaller area. A gun isdistrict, similar to a county in the U.S.
Our Takata Gunjinkai is comprised offolks who trace their roots to Takata
District in Hiroshima, where my father
was from. Since the members comefrom a much smaller area, the gunjinkai
is more closely knit than kenjinkai.
When there’s a death in the family,
the club might be called upon by
the family to help with manning thechoba reception table to collect thekoden sympathy envelopes, provide anemcee and represent the organizationfor oshoko, or offering of incense.
Most all kenjinkai hold a shinnenkai,or new year party, sometime between
January through March. Besides
having lunch and electing new leaders,
usually there are bingo games, goodie
bags, lucky number drawings andentertainment.
They also have summer picnics at
Ala Moana Park. And that’s where I waslast week. Besides eating bento lunch
together at the park, we have goodie
bags, shave ice and games. I’ve been
going to the picnics almost every year
since I was a little boy.
We have a spin-the-wheel gamecalled bun-mawashi. It’s a tricycle
wheel mounted on a board so it

4

spins, with a pointer so when thewheel stops spinning, it points atyour prize. People line up to try theirluck. The tricycle wheel at last week’s
picnic was the exact same one fromwhen I was in elementary school 65
years ago.
We also have geta race, sackrace relays, water balloon toss and avegetable pickup game in which we“Golden Harvest” game is popular among seniors.

empty sacks of carrots, potatoes, roundonions, cabbage and oranges on the
ground and people have so many
seconds to pick up as much as they can
carry in their arms to take home.
If you win your race you’re handed
the 1st place flag and you get to go
first to the prize table to pick up yourprize. I remember as a kid sometimes
the adults who were passing out the
1st, 2nd and 3rd place flags didn’t hand
the right flags to the right winners.
When I missed out on a winner’s flag
I used to get upset and think those
old folks must be either blind or havevery poor judgment. Now, of course,
I’m one of the people passing out theflags and with everything happening
so fast sometimes I have difficulty
picking out the right winners. Only
now do I understand.
But what was really great about
the games was that even if I finishedlast, I would still get a prize. That
prize was slightly different from the
top prize. The lesson I learned wasthat it doesn’t matter that you’re notgood at something or not, you canstill get something out of it just by
doing it. The only real losers are those
who don’t try at all.
Perhaps the most rewarding

project our Takata Gunjinkai
undertakes is our semi-annual
satogaeri, or visits to our ancestral
homeland. We travel to Japan
together to visit the actual villages
or towns where our ancestors
came from, pay respects at family
gravesites and temples, andoccasionally end up finding distantrelatives by talking to people in theneighborhood or with the help ofcity officials. We’re doing our fifth
trip later this fall and usually havefrom 15 to 25 people on our trips,
including some young 4th and 5th
generation members.
Besides visiting our ancestors’
furusato, we also go on side trips
to different places such as Kyushu,
Shikoku or Kyoto. We do some
cultural and fun things such as riding
river boats through “white water” ortake steam locomotive train rides,
but the main focus of our satogaeri,of course, is going back to the landof our forebears. We’re there togain appreciation for our ancestors
and a better understanding ofOkage sama de...we are what we arebecause of them. We pause at ourancestors’ gravesites and thank themfor the happy lives we can live today, allbecause—and only because—of them.
On these satogaeri trips we hope
to instill this appreciation of ourheritage and our ancestors among
younger members so that they, too,
can one day pass down the same
tradition to succeeding generations.
And that’s why many of us
volunteer our time and effort and work
hard to keep the club going,...even
if it means missing a day of rest or a
Sunday service every once in a while.



/FXTPOUIF#FUTVJO8JSFMFTT

/FYUNPWJFOJHIUGFBUVSFT#BSBLB and get a taste of the hot-off-the-grill
 Baraka is a 1992 documentary film barbecue chicken, you’ll want more...

Fukunaga-sensei showed special techniques
to thread the string through tight corners.

0KV[VNBLJOHDMBTTIFMECZNBTUFS On July 19 after our Sunday
service and board meeting, a dozen
Betsuin members and friends were
fortunate to have ojuzu master
Shozo Fukunaga teach the group
how to make their own ojuzu.
The 9th-generation proprietor of
Fukunaga Nenju Store, which islocated across the street from theHigashi Hongwanji headquarters in
Kyoto, Mr. Fukunaga demonstrated the
intricate technique of threading thebeads, tying knots into symmetricpatterns and making the final touches
on attractive ojuzu we expect to see
hanging on wrists at upcoming
Sunday services.
Each participant received a set ofbeads, string and a helpful sheet of
instructions. The size, number andsequence of beads is different formen and women.
While some participants mademore than one ojuzu, others had Mr.
Fukunaga help repair ones that had
fallen apart due to mishandling. He
recognized one of the repaired ojuzu
as one he had made several years ago.

with no narrative or voice-over. A visualmasterpiece, it explores themes via akaleidoscopic compilation of natural
events, life, human activities andtechnological phenomena shot in 23
countries on six continents over a
14-month period.
Locations include Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China,
Ecuador, Egypt, France, Hawaii, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Israel,
Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Poland, Saudi
Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey,
United States and Vatican City.
Roger Ebert included the film in his

Evenly and tightly tied knots result in attractrive
patterns and an ojuzu that will last for years.

"TBJUPQSFTFOUQFBDFNFTTBHF
 Palolo Hongwanji member

Masago Asai will be the guest speakerat her temple’s 10 am Sunday service
on Aug. 9. The title of her presentation
is “Human Inner Maurity Is the Core of
Global Peace.”
Asai, a 2nd-generation atomic
bomb survivor, frequently
organizes events focusing on
peace, such as last year’s wellreceived Hawaii Conference ofReligions for Peace presentation“A-bombs Exhibit for Peace - Face the
Past to Heal the Present.”
Palolo Hongwanji is located at1235 Palolo Ave. Call the temple at732-1491 for information.

8FSFZPVCPSOJO
 Attention all temple members“Great Movies” list, writing that “if man
sends another Voyager to the distantstars and it can carry only one film onboard, that film might be Baraka.”Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., Aug. 25 ,96 min.. Free admission. Bring your own
popcorn or you’re welcome to share in
our light refreshments.

##2DIJDLFOTVTIJQJDLVQ
 We hope you’ll be able to support

We say “Okage sama de” and thank our ancestors.

along with good, old-fashioned makisushi. Team that combination with somekimchee and you have meal that’ll satisfy
your taste buds and tummy, too!
Call the temple office at 531-9088
or email us at CFUTVJO!IICUIJPSH if
you need more tickets, or if you want
to be included in our fundraisingefforts but were left out.
Of course, if you received Hoku
chicken and sushi tickets and do notwish to participate any longer, you
can let us know that, too.
Mahalo, everyone, for yourcurrent and past support!

our fundraising efforts with our
end-of-summer Hoku barbecue
chicken and sushi sale. Pick-up is
Sunday, Aug. 30, from 10 am to 2 pm.
Once you catch a whiff of thenostalgic aroma of this local favorite

born in 1935. This is your lucky year inwhich you attain the age of 80.
As the temple is a member of theUnited Japanese Society of Hawaii,
you’re eligible for an invitation tocelebrate Keiro no Hi (Respect for AgedDay) and your 80th year with a freelunch and entertainment at its annual
Nenchosha Ian Engei Taikai (Senior
Citizens Festival). The event be held at
the JCCH Manoa Grand Ballroom on
Sunday, Sept. 27 from 9:30 am to 2 pm.
Call us at 531-9088 if you’d like toattend. We must submit your name byAug. 7 so call right away! Family andfriends may also join you at thecelebration at $38 per person.

3

Appreciating
our roots

Following is a transcript of the lay
speaker message presented by Ken Saikiat the July 19 Sunday service.

L

ast week I missed Sunday service.
I’m here for service almost every
Sunday but instead, last week I was at
Ala Moana Park at the annual picnic
held by Takata Gunjinkai.
So what’s “Takata Gunjinkai”? Well,
most of you know what a kenjinkai
is. It’s an organization of people who
trace their roots to a particular ken, orprefecture, in Japan. The issei felt very
comfortable with others who spoke
the same dialect, ate the same kind offoods and laughed at the same jokes.
Members would help each other intimes of need and help them find jobs,
or even a husband or wife.
A gunjinkai is like a kenjinkai except
it represents a smaller area. A gun isdistrict, similar to a county in the U.S.
Our Takata Gunjinkai is comprised offolks who trace their roots to Takata
District in Hiroshima, where my father
was from. Since the members comefrom a much smaller area, the gunjinkai
is more closely knit than kenjinkai.
When there’s a death in the family,
the club might be called upon by
the family to help with manning thechoba reception table to collect thekoden sympathy envelopes, provide anemcee and represent the organizationfor oshoko, or offering of incense.
Most all kenjinkai hold a shinnenkai,or new year party, sometime between
January through March. Besides
having lunch and electing new leaders,
usually there are bingo games, goodie
bags, lucky number drawings andentertainment.
They also have summer picnics at
Ala Moana Park. And that’s where I waslast week. Besides eating bento lunch
together at the park, we have goodie
bags, shave ice and games. I’ve been
going to the picnics almost every year
since I was a little boy.
We have a spin-the-wheel gamecalled bun-mawashi. It’s a tricycle
wheel mounted on a board so it

4

spins, with a pointer so when thewheel stops spinning, it points atyour prize. People line up to try theirluck. The tricycle wheel at last week’s
picnic was the exact same one fromwhen I was in elementary school 65
years ago.
We also have geta race, sackrace relays, water balloon toss and avegetable pickup game in which we“Golden Harvest” game is popular among seniors.

empty sacks of carrots, potatoes, roundonions, cabbage and oranges on the
ground and people have so many
seconds to pick up as much as they can
carry in their arms to take home.
If you win your race you’re handed
the 1st place flag and you get to go
first to the prize table to pick up yourprize. I remember as a kid sometimes
the adults who were passing out the
1st, 2nd and 3rd place flags didn’t hand
the right flags to the right winners.
When I missed out on a winner’s flag
I used to get upset and think those
old folks must be either blind or havevery poor judgment. Now, of course,
I’m one of the people passing out theflags and with everything happening
so fast sometimes I have difficulty
picking out the right winners. Only
now do I understand.
But what was really great about
the games was that even if I finishedlast, I would still get a prize. That
prize was slightly different from the
top prize. The lesson I learned wasthat it doesn’t matter that you’re notgood at something or not, you canstill get something out of it just by
doing it. The only real losers are those
who don’t try at all.
Perhaps the most rewarding

project our Takata Gunjinkai
undertakes is our semi-annual
satogaeri, or visits to our ancestral
homeland. We travel to Japan
together to visit the actual villages
or towns where our ancestors
came from, pay respects at family
gravesites and temples, andoccasionally end up finding distantrelatives by talking to people in theneighborhood or with the help ofcity officials. We’re doing our fifth
trip later this fall and usually havefrom 15 to 25 people on our trips,
including some young 4th and 5th
generation members.
Besides visiting our ancestors’
furusato, we also go on side trips
to different places such as Kyushu,
Shikoku or Kyoto. We do some
cultural and fun things such as riding
river boats through “white water” ortake steam locomotive train rides,
but the main focus of our satogaeri,of course, is going back to the landof our forebears. We’re there togain appreciation for our ancestors
and a better understanding ofOkage sama de...we are what we arebecause of them. We pause at ourancestors’ gravesites and thank themfor the happy lives we can live today, allbecause—and only because—of them.
On these satogaeri trips we hope
to instill this appreciation of ourheritage and our ancestors among
younger members so that they, too,
can one day pass down the same
tradition to succeeding generations.
And that’s why many of us
volunteer our time and effort and work
hard to keep the club going,...even
if it means missing a day of rest or a
Sunday service every once in a while.



/FXTPOUIF#FUTVJO8JSFMFTT

/FYUNPWJFOJHIUGFBUVSFT#BSBLB and get a taste of the hot-off-the-grill
 Baraka is a 1992 documentary film barbecue chicken, you’ll want more...

Fukunaga-sensei showed special techniques
to thread the string through tight corners.

0KV[VNBLJOHDMBTTIFMECZNBTUFS On July 19 after our Sunday
service and board meeting, a dozen
Betsuin members and friends were
fortunate to have ojuzu master
Shozo Fukunaga teach the group
how to make their own ojuzu.
The 9th-generation proprietor of
Fukunaga Nenju Store, which islocated across the street from theHigashi Hongwanji headquarters in
Kyoto, Mr. Fukunaga demonstrated the
intricate technique of threading thebeads, tying knots into symmetricpatterns and making the final touches
on attractive ojuzu we expect to see
hanging on wrists at upcoming
Sunday services.
Each participant received a set ofbeads, string and a helpful sheet of
instructions. The size, number andsequence of beads is different formen and women.
While some participants mademore than one ojuzu, others had Mr.
Fukunaga help repair ones that had
fallen apart due to mishandling. He
recognized one of the repaired ojuzu
as one he had made several years ago.

with no narrative or voice-over. A visualmasterpiece, it explores themes via akaleidoscopic compilation of natural
events, life, human activities andtechnological phenomena shot in 23
countries on six continents over a
14-month period.
Locations include Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China,
Ecuador, Egypt, France, Hawaii, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Israel,
Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Poland, Saudi
Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey,
United States and Vatican City.
Roger Ebert included the film in his

Evenly and tightly tied knots result in attractrive
patterns and an ojuzu that will last for years.

"TBJUPQSFTFOUQFBDFNFTTBHF
 Palolo Hongwanji member

Masago Asai will be the guest speakerat her temple’s 10 am Sunday service
on Aug. 9. The title of her presentation
is “Human Inner Maurity Is the Core of
Global Peace.”
Asai, a 2nd-generation atomic
bomb survivor, frequently
organizes events focusing on
peace, such as last year’s wellreceived Hawaii Conference ofReligions for Peace presentation“A-bombs Exhibit for Peace - Face the
Past to Heal the Present.”
Palolo Hongwanji is located at1235 Palolo Ave. Call the temple at732-1491 for information.

8FSFZPVCPSOJO
 Attention all temple members“Great Movies” list, writing that “if man
sends another Voyager to the distantstars and it can carry only one film onboard, that film might be Baraka.”Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., Aug. 25 ,96 min.. Free admission. Bring your own
popcorn or you’re welcome to share in
our light refreshments.

##2DIJDLFOTVTIJQJDLVQ
 We hope you’ll be able to support

We say “Okage sama de” and thank our ancestors.

along with good, old-fashioned makisushi. Team that combination with somekimchee and you have meal that’ll satisfy
your taste buds and tummy, too!
Call the temple office at 531-9088
or email us at CFUTVJO!IICUIJPSH if
you need more tickets, or if you want
to be included in our fundraisingefforts but were left out.
Of course, if you received Hoku
chicken and sushi tickets and do notwish to participate any longer, you
can let us know that, too.
Mahalo, everyone, for yourcurrent and past support!

our fundraising efforts with our
end-of-summer Hoku barbecue
chicken and sushi sale. Pick-up is
Sunday, Aug. 30, from 10 am to 2 pm.
Once you catch a whiff of thenostalgic aroma of this local favorite

born in 1935. This is your lucky year inwhich you attain the age of 80.
As the temple is a member of theUnited Japanese Society of Hawaii,
you’re eligible for an invitation tocelebrate Keiro no Hi (Respect for AgedDay) and your 80th year with a freelunch and entertainment at its annual
Nenchosha Ian Engei Taikai (Senior
Citizens Festival). The event be held at
the JCCH Manoa Grand Ballroom on
Sunday, Sept. 27 from 9:30 am to 2 pm.
Call us at 531-9088 if you’d like toattend. We must submit your name byAug. 7 so call right away! Family andfriends may also join you at thecelebration at $38 per person.

3

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

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

BON DANCE BLESSINGS

Address Service Requested

In this issue of WA...

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Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

8

August 2015

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
AUGUST 2015
8/2
8/2
8/2
8/8
8/9
8/11
8/13
8/16
8/16
8/18
8/23
8/25
8/25
8/28
8/30

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service(Rinban Kawawata) & Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in JapaneseOtani Center
Sun 12 pm Jimmy’s Auto Basics
led by Jimmy Hirakawa
Fukuhara Conference RoomSat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceThu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meetingTue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceTue 6:30 pm Movie night: Baraka
Fri 10 am Onicchu Shinran Shonin service
Sun 10 am BBQ chicken & sushi saleOtani Center

SEPTEMBER 2015
9/6
9/6
9/8
9/10
9/12
9/13
9/15
9/20
9/20
9/27
9/28
9/29
9/29

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service(Rinban Kawawata)
Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 3 pm Ukulele practiceThu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference RoomSat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
Sun 10 am Ohigan service
Guest speaker: Rev. Toshiyuki Umitani
Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
Sun 10 am Sunday service
Mon 10 am Onicchu Shinran Shonin service
Tue 3 pm Ukulele practiceTue 6:30 pm Movie night: TBA

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

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
President: Faye Shigemura
Vice President: Jonathan Tani
Secretary: Debra Saiki
Treasurer: Edmund Nakano
Auditor: Ken Saiki
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Associate Minister:Frank Childs
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 SaikiW

hen first arriving at the temple on Friday morning, strong winds were
mercilessly swirling around the hanging lanterns. Uh-oh, I thought,
same thing may happen this year as happened last year when a downpour
stopped the dancing 30 minutes early.
But nothing of the kind. We had perfect weather. It surely must havebeen the dozens of teru-teru bozu worn by every member of the Honolulu
Fukushima Bon Dance Club that did the trick during the two nights of ourobon festivities. There wasn’t enough rain to quench the thirst of a single
gecko. Where are the naysayers who believe teru-teru
bozu don’t work?? Blessing #1.
Harada NaoAtsusa Kai
members were delighted
that dancers joined in to
their live performance music,
which normally is heard
from prerecorded sources.
The group is comprised ofsingers and musicians who
found their passion in folk
and classical music of Japan.
Atsuko Nonaka, the shihan of Dancing to live muisc performed by Harada NaoAtsusa Kai.
the group, along with these
performers, had an extremely successful fundraising concert in June with
noted singers and musicians from Japan to help raise funds for the Tohoku
tsunami disaster relief. Blessing #2.
Our obon festivities have always been very well attended, but in thepast two years, we have seen many new faces. We humbly like to thinkthat this newfound popularity is because of the magnetic personalities ofour members and volunteers, but truthfully, it’s more likely the FOOD...thehighlight of every bon danceacross the state!
Our “chefs” are from Hawaii
and Japan, and they are seniors…I
mean traditional. This is a very
important component of the foodoffered at bon dances. As withmany temples across the state, we
prefer to prepare familiar, tasty
selections. Andagi, dango jiru,
somen, nishime, zenzai, shave
Bon dance food has that nostalgic, old-time taste. ice, BBQ sticks, along with thestandard hot dogs and saimin, they all scream BON DANCE! Blessing #3.
As the national bon dance capital, and possibly of the world, Hawaii
is probably the only state to have so many bon dance clubs. Thanks to them,(cont’d on p. 2)