Guest Speaker: Rev. Alan Urasaki
M.C.: Annette Tashiro
This will be followed by a Peace Day walk around Kailua.
REVEREND Alan Urasaki
Rev. Alan Urasaki is originally from Hilo. He was an active member of the Junior YBA (Young Buddhist Assn.) at Hilo Betsuin. While attending UH Manoa he served on the first YESS (Young Enthusiastic Shinshu Seekers) Camp committee and was active in the Buddhist Study Center Youth Fellowship group and Senior YBA, as well as a Jr. YBA advisor at Moiliili Hongwanji.
He attained a Master’s Degree in education from UH, and went to the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS), in Berkley, California to study Buddhism. Upon graduation from IBS, he received his Tokudo ordination in Japan and was assigned as a Kaikyoshi-ho, or minister’s aide, at the Hawaii Betsuin in August 1991. After a year of “on-the-job” training, he returned to Kyoto to receive his Kyoshi, or teaching credential. He returned to Hawaii as a “full-fledged” minister, and served as an associate minister at the Hawaii Betsuin and then as resident minister of Aiea Hongwanji.
In 2002, Rev. Urasaki left temple ministry and became a chaplain with the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu. He was the first Buddhist chaplain in the Federal Prison system. He retired after 20 years of government service and joined the Shinshu Kyokai Mission of Hawaii as their Assistant Minister in 2022.
With the passing of Rev. Roland Tatsuguchi in 2024, Rev. Urasaki became the head minister. (Shinshu Kyokai is an independent Jodo Shinshu temple in Honolulu, not affiliated with the Hawaii Honpa Hongwanji.)
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As of March 27, 2022, in accordance with the revised State of Hawaii guidelines, the use of masks is optional inside the temple. Please be kind to those who choose to continue to wear a mask.