Investigating this building, I learned more about what life was like for Japanese Americans in Hawaii prior to and during World War II. The islands hosted an abundance of Buddhist temples and shrines dedicated to different sects; about 85% of Japanese Americans in Hawaii were Buddhists. Temple architecture prior to World War II, as seen in this building, proudly included distinctive architectural elements like sloped roofs. But prejudice against Japanese American Buddhists was also present. Many non-Japanese Americans believed without evidence that Buddhists were more likely to be Japanese nationalists and therefore disloyal to the US government.