Hawaii Shingon Mission facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Shingon Shu Hawaii
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Hawaii
|
|
| Nearest city | Honolulu, Hawaii |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1918, 1929 |
| Architect | Hego Fuchino |
| Architectural style | Japanese |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000386 |
| Added to NRHP | April 26, 2002 |
The Hawaii Shingon Mission, also known as Shingon Shu Hawaii, is a beautiful Buddhist temple in Honolulu, Hawaii. You can find it at 915 Sheridan Street. This temple is a great example of Japanese temple design in Hawaiʻi.
It was first built between 1915 and 1918. A skilled builder named Nakagawa Katsutaro designed it. Later, in 1929, Hego Fuchino made some changes. He was the first person of Japanese background to become a licensed architect in Hawaii. The temple was updated again in 1978 and 1992.
The temple has special features. These include its unique roof and shiny altar. The altar and other items inside came from Japan. They show its connection to Shingon Buddhism, a special type of Buddhism. The temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 2002. This means it's an important historical site.
Contents
Symbols and Statues at the Temple
The Shingon Shu Hawaii temple has many interesting symbols. At the top of the entrance roof, you'll see a round symbol called a tomoe. This symbol represents the circle of life. It's also a traditional sign for the Koyasan Shingon group.
You can also see carved phoenixes on the temple. These birds represent death and rebirth. Carved dragons are also present, showing power and good luck.
Important Figures and Art
Near the front of the property, there's a tall stone monument called an obelisk. It remembers the first time Hawaiian immigrants made a special trip to Japan in 1929.
A statue of Kōbō Daishi (also known as Kūkai) stands in front of the temple. He was the person who started Shingon Buddhism. Inside the temple, there's an oil painting of Kōbō Daishi. A member of the temple, Mrs. Helen Nakagawa Abe, painted it.
The temple welcomes everyone. Its members come from many different backgrounds in Hawaii. In 2009, the temple started offering services in English. They plan to have mostly English services in the future.
Special Art Inside the Temple
The Shingon Shu Hawaii temple has amazing art. They asked artists to create a special ceiling panel. This panel shows a Taizokai mandala, which is a spiritual map. It's very large, about 600 square feet (55 square meters)!
Japanese artists used special pigments for this art. These colors were mixed with animal fat. They put the colors onto individual lacquered panels. Then, these panels were carefully placed by hand into a grid on the ceiling.
Guardians of the Temple
In 2007, two large statues arrived at the temple. These are Fujin, the Wind God, and Raijin, the Thunder God. You can see them right at the entrance of the main hall.
These statues were chosen for Hawaii. Fujin represents the strong trade winds that blow across the islands. Raijin shows respect for the power of nature. Each statue is over ten feet tall and weighs more than 2,800 pounds! They are made from Japanese Cypress wood. These are the biggest statues of the Wind and Thunder Gods outside of Japan.
Gallery
-
Side view of the main building
-
Lanterns, deities Fujin (left) Raijin (right), and statue of founder Kobo Daishi
-
Outside altar
-
Raijin
-
Fujin
