Zenshinza’s Special Performance,
“Hanakobushi – Shinran Shonin and Eshinni”

Don’t miss this special opportunity!

“Hana Kobushi,” meaning Magnolia flower, is a moving theatrical work that tells the story of Shinran Shonin and his wife, Lady Eshinni. Living among ordinary people, Shinran Shonin shared the teaching of the Nembutsu, which embraces and illuminates all beings equally. Through this performance, audiences are invited to experience the compassion, humanity, and spiritual journey of Shinran and Eshinni – lives that continue to inspire countless individuals today.

Dates of Performances

September 3, 2026, 1:00 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 pm)
September 3, 2026, 5:00 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 pm)
September 4, 2026, 1:00 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 pm)

The performances will be in Japanese and will include English subtitles.

Place

Palikū Theatre (at Windward Community College)
45-720 Keaahala Rd, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Tickets

Ticket Price: $80

To purchase tickets, use the button, QR code, visit the shortcut link https://honpahi.link/hanakobushi, or use the full ticketing URL:
https://hibustrolley.com/products/63046227-0501-5fee-a408-564144bbf5ab?lng=en-US

Story

In 1201, the story begins with the meeting of two young people: Hannen, a young monk training on Mount Hiei, who would later become Shinran, and Chikuzen, who would later become Shinran’s wife, Eshinni.

Before long, after receiving a message in a dream from Kannon Bodhisattva at Rokkaku-do Temple, Hannen visited Honen Shonin and began walking the path of spreading the Nembutsu together with him. Shinran Shonin, who became the first monk to marry, continued forward with even greater depth and strength. However, he was oppressed by the authorities of the time and was exiled to Echigo.

Even in Echigo, Shinran Shonin and Eshinni continued to spread the Nembutsu. After his pardon, they moved to the Kanto region and, for about twenty years, made Inada-no-sato in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture their base, teaching the path of salvation among ordinary farmers and villagers. At times, nearby families brought their disputes to them; at other times, mountain ascetics from Mount Tsukuba demanded that they leave. Gradually, however, the Nembutsu spread among many people.

The couple eventually returned once to the capital of Kyoto, but in order to support their eldest daughter, who had fallen ill in her hometown, Eshinni left for Echigo. From then on, husband and wife would live apart…