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Hawaii State Lay Association Convention

Event details

  • Friday | September 18, 2026 to Saturday | September 19, 2026
  • All Day
  • Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, 1727 Pali Highway, Honolulu, HI 96813 (enter parking at 1742 Lusitana St.)

Hawaii State Lay Association
63rd Annual Convention
September 18-19, 2026
Host Site: Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin

The Hawaii State Lay Association includes representatives from Hongwanji Hawaii’s five districts. The HSLA board puts on a convention annually to promote relationships and sharing among our various sanghas and to provide learning opportunities on topics of interest to our 30+ temples. The HSLA also provides occasional Zoom workshops between annual conventions.

Some photos from last year’s convention…
Delegates at tables fill a large social hall.Delegates in the Hawaii Betsuin social hall. (Lay Convention 2025)
Two photos - a man presents a lei to a female Buddhist minister in each one."Lei Convention"? Quite a few beautiful lei were presented! Here Rick gives lei to Rimban Yuika Hasebe and Rev. Charlene Kihara. (Lay Convention 2025)
Three ministers, two wearing lei) and a Buddhist statueReverends Kihara, Hasebe, and Furusawa at the time of the morning service. (Lay Convention 2025)
Woman with lei at podium before an ornate altarRene Mansho, co-chair of the 2025 Lay Convention, at the podium for the closing service. (Lay Convention 2025)
Woman at a church organGail Taira played the organ for the two services. (Lay Convention 2025)
Man with mic in front of a projected slide about property insuranceInsurance Commissioner Scott Saiki was the keynote speaker. (Lay Convention 2025)
Two photos - man and woman with lei, and man with mice and leiInsurance Commissioner Scott Saiki was the keynote speaker. (Lay Convention 2025)
Man asks a question at the audience mic while the presenter looks onDerrick Inouye, HHMH Business Manager, asks a question while keynote speaker Scott Saiki, Hawaii Insurance Commissioner, listens. (Lay Convention 2025)
Man with mic holds up a book entitled, "The Faith of Leadership"Russell Nonaka, Hawaii State Lay Association President, holds up a copy of "The Faith of Leadership" by Robbie Alm
Bento lunches stacked on tablesBento lunches in the Hawaii Betsuin social hall on Saturday. (Lay Convention 2025)
Young woman with mic with a slide "So what can we do to support our youth" in the backgroundEmi Hashi, HHMH Youth Coordinator, gave a talk entitled "Growing Our Youth Programs." (Lay Convention 2025)
Three women panelists wearing lei at a tableHawaii Kupuna Resource Panel: Norma Kop, Director of Senior Medical Patrol (SMP); Candace Nakamoto, Volunteer Coordinator for the State Hawaii Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP); and Michelle Cordero-Lee, Executive Director of Hawaii Meals on Wheels. (Lay Convention 2025)
Panel presenters with a slide showing menu customizations for Meals on Wheels recipientsMichelle Cordero-Lee, Executive Director of Hawaii Meals on Wheels, gestures at a slide showing menu customizations as fellow panelists look on. (Lay Convention 2025)
two young women address people at tables in a social hallJaimee Yokoyama of Jr. YBA and Emi Hashi, Youth Specialist, address attendees in the Hawaii Betsuin Social Hall. (Lay Convention 2025)
two photos, each showing two young women with micsLeft photo: Project Dana's Madisyn Sim, Community Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator, and Maria Morales, Executive Director, present to the attendees. Right photo: Emi Hashi and Jaimee Yokoyama. (Lay Convention 2025)
two smiling men at a table with audio-visual equipment and tripods with cameras to the sideDavid Atcheson and Darren Cantrill (Hawaii Betsuin) provided audio-visual support for the hybrid services and meetings on Saturday. (Lay Convention 2025)
wide shot of a Shin Buddhist altarHawaii Betsuin altar at the installation service. AV area at left, Rene Mansho (emcee) at right. (Lay Convention 2025)
Buddhist altar with minister in robes and emcee at the podiumInstallation service with Hawaii Betsuin Rimban Yuika Hasebe and convention co-chair Rene Mansho (emcee). (Lay Convention 2025)
Minister on the altar addresses people facing the altarInstallation ceremony for the 2025-2026 Hawaii State Lay Association board of directors (Lay Convention 2025)
About 15 people stand in front of a Buddhist altar and face the rest of the attendees. (Lay Convention 2025)The 2025-2025 Hawaii State Lay Association Board of Directors after the installation ceremony. (Lay Convention 2025)
two photos of people on the Hawaii Betsuin steps for a group photoGroup photos at the conclusion of the Hawaii State Lay Association's 2025 convention.
Wide shot of the front of a white Buddhist temple with people on the stepsSome of the delegates remain on the stairs after a group photo while Rick gets a wide shot of Hawaii Betsuin. (Lay Convention 2025)

Use arrows at the right and left edges of the photos to go to the next photo.