Anti-Japanese sentiment
In 1935, the Temple was elevated to the status of Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin, meaning it became the North American regional headquarters, recognized by the Koyasan Headquarters of Japan. In 1940, the Temple moved to its current location on East 1st Street, but the bombing of Pearl Harbor would forever changed the Japanese American community across the nation. Anti-Japanese sentiment ran rampant. Within a year, the temple in Los Angeles was closed, its hall and basement piled to the ceiling with members’ possessions, and its membership, both U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike, were relocated to internment camps during World War II.