Building Healthy Sanghas: Embracing Generosity and Openness Every year, over many weeks, five individuals gather to discuss, ponder, select, write, and review. And the result of their efforts is the Hawaii Kyodan Calendar that will be distributed soon. Alan Kubota, Stephan Doi, Yumi Suzuki, Rev. Kazunori Takahashi, and Bishop Eric Matsumoto toiled mightily to bring […]

26th Annual Nagasaki Peace Ceremony August 9, 2019 Message by Pieper J. Toyama President, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii Good morning. On this occasion, it is important for us to reflect on the events that unfolded in Nagasaki 74 years ago. And in the light of the leaders who are on the world stage today, […]

Embrace Change: Transformation (Walk in Peace) It is my hope that the 2019 theme speaks to all of us personally. At the heart of the theme is the call for us to transform ourselves and from this profound change to walk in peace. The transformation we seek is borne out of awareness. As our awareness […]

JOINT CONFERENCE LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP September 2, 2018 Presented by Pieper J. Toyama President, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii Embrace Change – Harmony (Accept Differences) Good afternoon.  As I look out over this distinguished gathering, I can see what is on your minds.  Many of you here today, and I am one of them, are thinking, […]

Embrace Change: Harmony Accept Differences Our theme for 2018 calls us to walk the path of change in harmony by accepting differences. It is a particularly difficult time for us to walk this path while the world seems to be dissolving into divisive fragments. As we are swept by world events that seek to divide […]

Change, Vision, and Engagement in 2016 We enter 2016 shaped by the theme: EMBRACE CHANGE: NEW VISION, and this vision for the future is to be borne out of our engagement with each other and our communities. Let me share two thoughts on this theme. First, let us be guided by the Jodo Shinshu concept […]