Oshugatsu 2019 in Little Tokyo's Koyasan Temple.

あけまして おめでとう ございます! Happy New Year of the Boar! We hope that everyone is off to a good start. Ours started as it has for the last nine years by participating in the Oshugatsu ceremony at the Koyasan Temple in Little Tokyo. There's much we could say but rather than ramble on here, we will let the pictures do the talking. Please enjoy!

 

A Fond Farewell

This week, the Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles bid farewell to one of it's student priests. In the span of over five years, the Rev. David Jakuhō Weiser went from practitioner to priest. He is returning to be his native Pennsylvania to near his family. For us few "Hakujin" who attend the traditionally Japanese-American Buddhist Temple, he has made us proud. We wish him all the best. 

Farewell Kako Sensei

On this day of April 15th, 2016, our beloved Reverend Keishin Kako returns home to Japan. Over the last four years he has been instrumental in transitioning the Los Angeles Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo through a series of changes at the iconic Buddhist Temple. But with his Visa expired, it was time to return to Japan thus completing his four year mission here in Los Angeles. He will be returning to his home at the Hosenji Temple in Hyogo Japan where his family has run for generations. We do not know if we will ever make to Japan but if we do we will most certainly visit him and hope he will visit here again as he has promised. He has been the friend to many, and a teacher of both Shingon Buddhism and Japanese Culture. Kako Sensei is also a master of Japanese Calligraphy who hand prints every one of his cards.

It was just a month ago that we took this photo with Kako Sensei at a Koyasan Temple Luncheon held in his honor at the Universal Hilton. He has been quite an inspiration who helped inspire some of our Buddhist archetypes in our American Mishima novels. We will certainly miss his benevolence, friendship, and his unique Buddha-like nature. We wish him success. Never to say Sayonara, but to our dear friend who we will one day see again, Mata ne'! So long, farewell, Arigatou,' & Ganbatte kudasai! Until we meet again!