LIHUE On March 3, 1889, the Rev. Soryu Kagahi from Kyushu, Japan, arrived in Hawaii and conducted the first Jodo Shinshu Buddhist service at the Kojima Hotel, which was located at No. 1 Beretania Street in Honolulu.
LIHUE — On March 3, 1889, the Rev. Soryu Kagahi from Kyushu, Japan, arrived in Hawaii and conducted the first Jodo Shinshu Buddhist service at the Kojima Hotel, which was located at No. 1 Beretania Street in Honolulu.
The service was held to provide spiritual support to the thousands of Japanese who had migrated to Hawaii to work on the plantations.
Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, the central church for Jodo Shinshu churches around the state, will celebrate its 130th anniversary of Kagahi’s first service in Honolulu. The Kauai Hongwanji Council will celebrate the anniversary with a special service Sunday, Oct. 6, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the West Kauai Honganji Mission, Hanapepe Temple, that is located next to the Hanapepe Public Library on Kaumualii Highway.
Following the service, the public is invited to attend a panel discussion, Manifestation of Peace, Various Perspectives, with guest speakers Bishop Eric Matsumoto of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, kahu Sherman Thompson of Kamehameha School, the Rev. Kosen Ishikawa of the Koloa Jodo Mission, and shaku Arthur Kaufmann of the Lihue Hongwanji Mission moderating.
Registration starts at 12:30 p.m., with the discussion from 1 to 3 p.m. Donations will be accepted.
“What is peace?” asked Gail Shibuya, president of the Lihue Hongwanji Mission. “This is a very simple question, but one that is difficult to answer. Peace could be inner peace, peace in the world, or living peacefully with others. These are only my thoughts. What do other religions think?”
The topics of peace in celebration of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii will be discussed by the panel, and provide an excellent opportunity to engage in the community while learning more about what peace means to people.
For more information, call the Lihue Hongwanji Mission at 245-6262, the West Kauai Hongwanji Mission at 335-3195, or the Kapaa Hongwanji at 822-4667.
