On Saturday, May 10, 2025, we held our belated Earth Day rubbish pick-up on Kuulei Road, which is the road our temple is located on in Kailua. Two teams went up and down both sides of the road picking up a variety of discarded bottles, cans, food wrappers, cigarette butts, plastic pieces, and even floor mats for a car.
On the last Tuesday of the month, the Kailua Houseless Service Care Event takes place at the Daybreak Church and Kailua YMCA. WBT prepared and served the hot lunch and snack bags for the April event.
The monthly event also offers haircuts, a warm shower with a mobile shower van, hygiene items, signing up for food assistance programs, and assistance with legal affairs. Mahalo to all who make this event possible every month!
We had a great time at the 4th Annual Windward Mall Bon Dance last Saturday, October 5th. Mahalo to Windward Mall and our co-partner, Kaneohe Higashi Hongwanji Mission, for another great Bon Dance in Kaneohe. This batch of photos is from our booth, where we sold takuan, manju, tsukemono, nantu, and more -- all made by our members at WBT. Mahalo to our volunteers and thank you to everyone who patiently waited in line for andagi!
A big mahalo to our hard-working andagi crew. This team worked straight through for hours to mix, cook, and pack hundreds of freshly made andagi for the Bon Dance.
We assembled 100 period care kits for the Ma’i Movement
After our Remembrance Day Service, Prudence led us in a Social Concerns project to assemble 100 period care kits for Ma'i Movement Hawai'i, a grassroots organization working to end period poverty in Hawaii. We learned about the organization a few years ago when we participated in a period product drive. To learn more, visit their website at https://maimovement.org/
Over the past several days we have watched in disbelief the devastation caused by the wildfires on Maui. Our hearts go out to the Sangha of Lahaina Hongwanji and to everyone who has been affected by this disaster.
In Our Pledge, Gomonshu Kojun Ohtani encourages us as fellow travelers along the Nembutsu Path to “…share a life of joy and sorrow with others. Just like the Buddha, whose caring heart always embraces us.” This is a time for us to embody Amida Buddha’s compassion by caring for our Sangha and all who are in distress. This is the living Nembutsu that is grounded in our everyday lives.
The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii Committee on Social Concerns has created the MAUI WILDFIRE DISASTER RELIEF FUND to aid the members of Lahaina Hongwanji and relief efforts on Maui.
Online at www.hongwanjihawaii.com by clicking on the “Maui Wildfire Disaster Relief” button under the “Donate” tab.
Through GoFundMe at the following link: https://gofund.me/ff77a520
Check and cash donations can be sent directly to Hawaii Kyodan Headquarters. Please make check payable to HHMH and in the memo line designate “Maui Wildfire Disaster Relief” to ensure proper credit. Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, 1727 Pali Highway, Honolulu, HI 96813
Statement regarding the Disaster on Maui from Bishop Toshiyuki Umitani:
A big mahalo out to everyone who joined us in Kailua for Windward Buddhist Temple's first Bon Dance at our temple in 4 years. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves, whether it was finding treasure at the Rummage Sale, getting a tub of takuan at the Country Market, enjoying ono andagi and BBQ stick dinner plates at the food booth, cooling down with shave ice by the Junior YBAs, learning about our temple from Rev. Brennan and Rev. Sumikawa, or simply dancing the night away around the yagura.
We were amazed at not only how many came from the Windward side, but from just about all over the island to attend our Bon Dance. The Obon season truly is a time to come together as a community and celebrate those who came before us. Thank you to all!
On June 12, 2023, Windward Buddhist Temple held its annual visit to the Bellows Japanese Cemetery in Waimanalo, where Rev. Bert Sumikawa and Rev. Barbara Brennan performed an obon service. Access to the cemetery by the public is restricted as it is located on an active military base.
There are a little over 40 grave markers at the cemetery, most erected in the early 1900s. Many are believed to have been connected to the Waimanalo Sugar Plantation, the nearby dairy farm, or Waimanalo Hongwanji.
Mahalo as always to the Marine Corps for escorting our group to the cemetery.
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