Wailuku Hongwanji Mission Buddhist Temple

Our granddaughter’s preschool graduation ceremony was held in their courtyard. All of the children gave wonderful presentations, and we truly enjoyed celebrating their accomplishments. Congratulations, Aira!

Wailuku Hongwanji’s annual Gotan-e and Mother’s Day combined service was held this morning. We had a wonderful turnout of members in attendance.

Following the service, we enjoyed a delicious brunch generously provided by Scout Troop 40. Thank you to all the Scouts, leaders, and staff for the wonderful meal. We truly appreciated and enjoyed the tasty food.

The Wailuku Hongwanji-sponsored High School Graduates’ Banquet was held at Lemongrass Restaurant. We were honored to have 10 graduates, along with more than 40 family members and friends, attend this evening’s banquet. All were affiliated with Wailuku Hongwanji organizations, including the Japanese Language School (with a minimum of three years of attendance), Boy Scouts, Dharma School, and the Judo Club.

We had offering of incense by the all graduates, service with Vandana & Ti Sarana, and recitation of golden chain of love done by the Rev. Shinkai Murakami.

Our keynote speaker was Yuki Lei Sugimura, a councilwoman who also participated in this graduation banquet some years ago. She shared an inspiring message about the importance of a sincere heart of gratitude and reminded us that we are all interconnected, supporting one another in our precious lives.

Each student expressed heartfelt appreciation to their mentors, and at the conclusion of the banquet, a beautiful message of gratitude was delivered by Rylie Ota.

We extend our sincere thanks to Shelee Quipotla and Joyce Chun for organizing this wonderful program. And Gary Murai for MC, he also delivered outstanding message as a chair of our temple.

It was truly a memorable and joyful graduation banquet for all who attended.

The Wailuku Hongwanji Mission’s Hanamatsuri and Infant Rites Ceremony was held on April 12, bringing together a vibrant community of Dharma friends at our temple. With two families joyfully presenting their children to the Buddha’s teachings, the atmosphere was filled with a deep sense of connection and celebration. Dharma School students and their families beautifully decorated the flower pavilion, further enriching the experience. Through this uplifting service, all were reminded of the strength found in shared moments as a Sangha.

The 2026 Wailuku Hongwanji BWA Annual Sokai (General Assembly and Luncheon) was held on February 15. We all enjoyed our annual gathering and luncheon very much. I even won a lucky number prize — a pair of United Airlines first-class slippers!

Thank you to all of our dedicated BWA members for making our temple and organization such a wonderful and precious place for everyone.

Our annual Wailuku Hongwanji Scouts Sunday was held this morning. Troop 40 and Pack 40 were in charge of refreshments and prepared shoyu ramen with shrimp tempura toppings. It was delicious, and everyone enjoyed their special ramen very much. I guess they made more than shoyu 150 ra-men for today’s refreshment! Thank you to all Scouts leaders and scouts members and it was so delicious!

Wailuku Hongwanji Mission invites you to usher in 2026 with a renewed sense of purpose and community at its New Year's party on January 17, where a brief service, annual meeting, and the prestigious Tadaichi Fukunaga award presentation will kick off at 5:30 pm, followed by a joyous celebration featuring ONO food and thrilling lucky draws. Tickets are available for $3.00 individually or $5.00 for family packs, with a deadline for purchase being Monday, January 12.

Dear Facebook friends, The Wailuku Hongwanji Mission will observe our New Year's Eve (Joya-e) Service tonight. The service will begin at 11:15 p.m. At 11:50 p.m., we will hold our special candlelight service, followed by the ringing of our temple bell (Joya no Kane) as we welcome the New Year together. Afterward, we will enjoy Toshikoshi soba (year-end buckwheat noodles) and welcome the year 2026 with gratitude and reflection. The public is warmly invited. Please join us!

Very quietly waiting for the opening of this evening’s Obon Festival.
The weather is beautiful, and the forecast promises a perfect night for Obon.

Service start at 6:30 pm and dance at 7:45 pm.

See you this evening with the spirit of “Joy of Gathering.”

Upcoming Wailuku Hongwanji Mission Obon: August 1, 2
(Fri,Sat) Service: 6:30 pm Dance: 7:45 pm.
Volunteers call out and other Obon information can be found here:
https://wailukuhongwanji.org/volunteers-needed-for-obon-preparation/
Also view the entire obon schedule here:https://wailukuhongwanji.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/obon2025.pdf