VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 1 • March 2026

Friendships Began at the Young Adults Retreat

Participants from Hawai‘i and Japan explore how Buddhism can guide their lives.

BY JENNA TAKARA MEMBER, MILILANI HONGWANJI

Over the Labor Day weekend, 22 young people between 18- and 30-years old gathered in Honolulu to take part in Young Adults Retreat, sponsored by Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai‘i.

Eleven members from Hawai‘i and 11 from Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan bonded with each other over two days while seeking answers to how Buddhism can bring light to their lives in work, college and their personal lives.

“Ask Me Anything” was the theme of the event which featured guest speaker Reverend Blayne Nakasone Sakata, associate minister of Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin, an “under 30-year old” himself, who, while no subject was off limits, focused on three areas:

First, “listening” compared to “hearing” the teachings of the Dharma; second, the purpose and importance of a temple, and third, the “Japanese” aspect of Jodo Shinshu, specifically the chanting in English compared to the Sino-Japanese.

“One thing I wanted to get across is that we are only here because we have a temple,” Rev. Nakasone Sakata said. “A temple provides the space for us to gather, and this is a space for all of us, welcoming us with open arms just as we are.”

The subject of Hongwanji services being too “Japanese,” and the choice of whether or not to chant in  English or “Japanese” was discussed, particularly how difficult it is to memorize the words.

“I keep putting the word Japanese in quotations because we do not chant in Japanese, the words are in Sino-Japanese, not the standard Japanese that is spoken today,” Rev. Nakasone Sakata said.

“The chants we do, the manner we do them, come from a heart of gratitude, it’s a way we show our appreciation and gratitude for the teachings that have been passed down.”

The experience was great, he said, even with 11 exchange students, who may have been challenged by the language barrier.

Not so for Ichiro Kajiyama, 19, from Kyoto and Yurika Noda, 22, from Osaka who reflected on their experiences in the program.

“The happiest thing for me was making friends in Hawai‘i,” Yurika said. “It was fun to talk about anime, learning more English and sharing cultural interests. It was a special experience I could only have in Hawai‘i.”

Ichiro’s most memorable experience was attending Sunday service at Honpa Hongwanji Hawai‘i Betsuin.

“I had never attended a Sunday service before and hadn’t known about it,” he said. “I thought it was a unique mixture of Japanese and American cultures.”

During the program, participants visited the Makap’uu Lighthouse Trail, took part in a workshop, Dharma discussions, played games and hiked Mānoa Falls after service at Mōi‘li‘lii Hongwanji.

The Young Adults Retreat is aimed at graduates of YESS camp (Young Enthusiastic Shinshu Seekers) searching for a deeper understanding of Buddhism.