The first-place poster submission from Aiea Hongwanji Mission sangha and dharma school.
Five winning entries for the Hongwanji’s 2025 theme/slogan poster contest were announced at the December meeting of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii Board of Directors meeting. The poster contest aimed to engage participants in a creative exploration of the 2025 theme and slogan, “Nurturing Nembutsu: Cultivating Awareness.” Guidelines and judging criteria were distributed in a call for poster submissions in October 2024.
A poster submitted by Aiea Hongwanji’s sangha and dharma school (pictured above) received first place honors. Entitled “Global Awareness of Interdependence Brings Peace,” the poster is composed of hand and finger prints of sangha members young and old around an image of the Buddha. Second place honors went to Alan Kubota of Hawaii Betsuin, whose poster “Revealing the Truth” features a photograph of rays of sunlight penetrating a dense forest and illuminating a path. Both posters will be duplicated and distributed for posting at Hongwanji temples throughout Hawaii.
Also placing in the contest were entries from Masako Sakata of Na’alehu Hongwanji (3rd and 5th place) and David Atcheson of Hawaii Betsuin (4th place). Organizers remarked that “every submission was outstanding” — you can see them all in the gallery below. Further down, you can read artist commentary that accompanied the submissions.
Poster contest chairpersons were Reverend Shawn Yagi and Debbie Kubota. The judges were Bishop Toshiyuki Umitani, Rimban Yuika Hasebe, and Ms. Yumi Suzuki (HHMH Calendar Committee Chair). Organizers are referring to the contest as an annual event, so we encourage you to think of poster ideas for 2026 when the theme and slogan will be “Nurturing Nembutsu: Sharing Gratitude.”
Gallery: Poster Contest Entries
Artist Statements Accompanying the Entries
1st Place: Aiea Hongwanji Mission Sangha and Dharma School, “Global Awareness of Interdependence Brings Peace”
The poster can be interpreted in many individual ways, and these are some of the thoughts we tried to convey.
Nurturing the Nembutsu through a Global awareness of Shin Buddhism. Our Reverend’s hands are the Lotus Pedestal of Amida Buddha or Namo Amida Butsu which represents the Buddha’s virtue surrounded by the many hands and fingerprints of our Sangha: keiki to kupuna. In gratitude to Amida Buddha, we are never too old or too young to cultivate and share our awareness of the Nembutsu and try to help others by reaching out, represented by the many hands. The eight Bodhi leaves represent the Eightfold Path which provides us with guidance, and they also represent the Eight Kinds of Suffering which are transformed just as they are into something positive due to the workings of Amida Buddha. As it says in “A Record in Lament of Divergences,” “The nembutsu is the single path free of hindrances.” There is nothing that can obstruct the Compassionate Workings of Amida Buddha or Namo Amida Butsu. We also wanted to represent Nature which sustains and encompasses all of us by using our temple bodhi leaves. The yellow background of the poster represents the Light of Amida Buddha shining everywhere.
2nd Place: Alan Kubota, Hawaii Betsuin, “Revealing the Truth”
Light rays illuminate our way out of the forest, revealing and bringing awareness of our path. I am grateful for Amida’s light that dispels the darkness and brings awareness to the Truth before us.
3rd Place: Masako Sakata, Na’alehu Hongwanji, “Nurturing Nembutsu: Cultivating Awareness”
Nā’ālehu Hongwanji continues to promote community service projects and share in events & traditions that enrich life in Ka’ū. Members and friends also meet regularly to listen to Dharma talks, build fellowship and work together to develop spiritually.
4th Place: Dave Atcheson, Hawaii Betsuin, “Going Deep”
One inspiration was the retro style of the late 60s, early 70s posters in the HHMH Archives shared at the Triple Celebration. I used ChatGPT prompts to help me generate the background color scheme. The placement of the theme/slogan, mountain, and lotus blossom are also from ChatGPT. …The two-headed bird is an excerpt of a photo of artwork in the Hawaii Betsuin altar. In the lower portion of the poster, the silhouette on the right is created from a photo of a girl helping plant a tree at Mouna Farm in Waianae on a Dharma School / BWA trip.
In order to provide a translation of the kanji for the Nembutsu, which appears to be growing out of the ground, I placed the words Namo Amida Butsu below on rocks bordering the planting area. Originally, I had them on little signs that appeared to be made out of popsicle sticks, but my daughter suggested that rocks might be preferable.
If you look at the poster as a single scene, it may seem that the children and Nembutsu tree are under water. To signal to the viewer that I am aware of this, I incorporated a diving flag with the year 2025. Young sangha members are “going deep” to tend to the Nembutsu. Especially in the period following the presidential election, the two-headed bird may be seen as a symbol of our polarized society while at the same time a symbol of the undeniable reality of our interdependence.
5th Place: Masako Sakata, Na’alehu Hongwanji, “In Gratitude We Call Out Namo Amida Butsu”
Reasons for choice of symbols (design).
1) Deeply rooted Bodhi tree with leaves symbolizes the living Dharma available to all.
2) The Sun with its far reaching rays symbolizes Amida Buddha’s Wisdom and Compassion that embraces us all at all times.
3) The young couple in gassho, ‘Calling out Namu Amida Butsu” depicts the deep gratitude that is inspired from within.
Additional Poster Submissions
BJ Soriano, Hilo Hongwanji (Untitled)
The 2025 theme Nurturing Nembutsu – Cultivating Awareness has brought thought provoking reflection. The haiku accompanying this photo (shared with me by a friend, Merle Unoki) brought about a deeper appreciation for each unique flower, and reminded me that like each flower, there are no two exact people, thus allowing me to be more aware and mindful of nature and of people.
Keri Kubota, Hawaii Betsuin, “Stop and Smell the Flowers”
I believe some of the most important aspects of cultivating awareness is found in slowing down and allowing ourselves to become more mindful of our surroundings. When we slow down, we’re able to cultivate a sense of gratitude for all the beauty that we might miss (internally & externally) as we pass it by rushing from moment to moment. The florals featured in this poster are pictures collected from my travels around Europe, Japan, and here at home in Hawaii. Just as flowers grow through all seasons of life, each are beautifully unique— humans are a beautiful garden of individual flowers, blooming alongside one another, and we have the ability to create a harmonious world through showing compassion for ourselves and others.
Lei Kaneshiro, Hongwanji Mission School, 3rd Grade, “Onenju”
This picture means I am praying with an onenju and I am praying that all animals and the world will be safe.
Stephen Chinen, Mililani Hongwanji, “Belly Breathing and Mindfulness”
My daily practice of Belly Breathing and Mindfulness has definitely cultivated Nembutsu awareness for me.