2008 September Bulletin - West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple

Email: westlabt@verizon.net 

Web: www.wlabt.org 

Vol. 51, No. 9 September 2008 

REV. USUKI’S PAGE 

I have much to report to you 

since my last message in 

July/August which was written 

in May. Since then we had the 

Southern District Buddhist 

Conference hosted by San Fernando, 

the 80 Plus Yard Sale, and many other 

activities in between. We will also have concluded 

the WLA Obon Festival but at this writing 

it is still four days away so I must assume 

that it was tremendous, as usual, and I hope 

you enjoyed it as much as I. This edition of the 

Bulletin has many photos and articles of the 

past three months, and I thank the editors and 

contributors for their diligence and great job 

once again. 

For this article I would like to share my experience 

at the BCA Ministers’ Fuken (annual 

summer retreat, meeting, and study session) 

that was held in New York in June. It was the 

best fuken my wife and I have attended in our 

short ministerial careers. More detailed articles 

are presented in the July issue of the BCA 

Wheel of Dharma. You can also read Rev. Marvin 

Harada’s message about the large Shinran 

Shonin statue that is pictured in the Wheel of 

Dharma as well as in the photo on the next 

page. It is an amazing story and we were moved 

wholeheartedly by its history and significance. 

Although the fuken was much anticipated for 

many reasons, we had to condense all activities 

New York, New York 

into two days. The events were held at New York 

Buddhist Church, Battery Park in Manhattan, 

9/11 Ground Zero, the United Nations, and the 

Interfaith Center of New York. Meetings, 

services, and lectures by several Buddhists and 

interfaith scholars were held at these locations. 

We were also treated to a special banquet luncheon 

in the Delegates’ Dining Room at the 

United Nations where we heard several speeches 

from many dignitaries and religious scholars. A 

very special performance was given for us by the 

internationally renowned musicians, Toshiko 

Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin. We are grateful to 

Rev. Nakagaki of New York Buddhist Church, 

and the many other ministers and hosts, for the 

wonderful, informative, moving, and impressive 

activities. 

For our personal visit to New York, my wife and 

I put in miles of walking in the evenings to visit 

the many places we wanted to see. She lived 

there for three years so she was my tour guide 

and chaperone. I really needed help in the subway 

and crossing the busy and dangerous 

streets. People and taxis are everywhere and we 

moved like ants on a mission to get somewhere 

and everywhere. The first place we visited was 

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. I was impressed by its 

phenomenal presence in the middle of downtown. 

Being inside gave me a complete and 

overwhelming sense of religious sanctuary. 

(cont’d on page 2)

West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple September 2008 

Other renowned places which we see on TV and in the movies were just as impressive, such as Rockefeller 

Center, Broadway, and Times Square. But my favorite place that I have admired since childhood 

was the Empire State Building. For me this is the place I called America and what it represented. We 

went to the top and viewed the entirety of New York and its surroundings in the early evening, looking 

at the traffic, rivers, skyscrapers, bridges, and the Statue of Liberty in the distance as well as watching 

the people and the congestion in its entire splendor. Yankee Stadium, Macy’s, Central Park, New Jersey, 

Queens, the Bronx, the Chrysler Building, and everything I can name were visible from what seemed to 

be the top of the world. 

I didn’t realize it then but many of my anxieties about New York loomed like a great story in my imagination 

and no wonder … watching the Yankees, the tragedy of 9/11, or even the shooting of John 

Lennon resonated within me for such a long time. But fortunately, my trepidations soon settled down 

after the visit and I will look at New York with a much different sense of appreciation and awe. New York 

is like no other place in the world and when it was over in a few days, I truly appreciated the visit but 

looked forward to returning to West LA and to our own Shinran Shonin statue in the beautiful garden. 

After nearly four years at West LA, I have even greater esteem for what we have at our temple. 

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki 

Shinran Shonin statue in front of the New York Buddhist Church 

It survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb and was moved to its present site on September 11, 

1955. Read its history in the July 2008 Wheel of Dharma. 

(In the foreground: Rev. Patti Usuki and Rev. Fumiaki Usuki) 

2


Jeff Wilson 

Since 2002, I’ve been conducting 

a research study at 

the Ekoji temple in Richmond, 

Virginia. This isn’t 

the Ekoji in northern Virginia 

that some of you may 

have heard about. Rev. Tsuji, 

the former bishop of the 

BCA, started both Ekojis but the Richmond 

temple is not really a Jodo Shinshu temple. Rather, 

it is multi-denominational, with five different 

kinds of Buddhist groups meeting under 

one roof. One of them is a Pure Land group 

which includes some Shin elements, such as 

Juseige, but it is not a full-fledged Jodo Shinshu 

group. The others are Zen, Tibetan, Vipassana 

(a type of Theravada), and a quasi-Zen 

meditation group. 

I was fascinated when I first heard about all of 

this activity going on in one temple. This is a 

very unusual situation: in Japan and elsewhere, 

usually only one type of Buddhism would be 

found in each temple. For example, when we 

visit Hongwanji in Kyoto, we don’t expect to find 

a group practicing Tibetan tantra or people 

organized to do Zen meditation. This group in 

Richmond developed because people in America 

don’t have access to the same sort of resources 

that people in Asia do: even though Buddhism 

has been here over 100 years, in many parts of 

the country it is still new and unusual, and 

different kinds of Buddhism have to stick together 

in order to gather enough people and 

funds for a temple. 

Trying to practice Buddhism in a new place like 

Richmond presents many challenges. At the 

same time, there are some advantages too. Because 

they have so many kinds of Buddhism in 

the same temple, they are able to learn about 

many different Dharma paths. Often, people 

start with one group, and they don’t know much 

about other kinds of Buddhism. They may have 

bad ideas about unfamiliar types of Buddhism: 

for example, if they practice Zen they may think 

that Pure Land is a useless sort of Buddhism, or 

if they practice Tibetan they may think Zen is a 

deviation from the Buddha’s teachings. If they 

were isolated, it would be easy for them to think 

only about their particular sect and disparage 

other kinds of Buddhism out of ignorance. But 

because they are all together, eventually they 

begin to learn about each other. People from the 

Zen group sometimes visit the Pure Land group 

3 

and learn about it, and people from the Tibetan 

group sometimes participate in the Vipassana 

group. Also, they meet together several times 

per year, such as at Buddha’s Birthday (Hanamatsuri). 

Then they can practice together as one 

Sangha and appreciate the richness of the 

Dharma. 

Even though they interact with each other, most 

people have chosen the path that suits them 

best and spend the majority of their time on one 

practice, be it nembutsu, zazen, or something 

else. They may blend their practices a little, but 

they still remain true to one school of Buddhism. 

Thus they find ways to go deeply into one practice 

while also learning about others and coming 

to appreciate the variety within Buddhism. This 

is the sort of advantage that Americans have in 

Buddhism. Even if we are dedicated to one path, 

we have the opportunity to learn about others 

and discover how people in many parts of the 

world live the Buddha’s teachings. We don’t 

have to live in Richmond in order to experience 

it. Los Angeles is the most diverse city for Buddhism 

on the planet (it’s true!), and we can find 

many other kinds of Buddhist practice going on. 

Sometimes there are other kinds of Buddhism 

right around us and we don’t know it: I remember 

dancing at Obon at the Betsuin, and there 

were not only people from the many Shin temples 

in Southern California, but also Zen Buddhists, 

Shingon Buddhists, Nichiren Buddhists, 

and people connected to Tibetan, Burmese, and 

other kinds of Buddhism. Perhaps we don’t 

have the same sort of advantages that people in 

Japan do, but at the same time we also have 

some unique opportunities that we can be 

thankful for. 

 

Jeff sends his “Hello!” to everyone at WLA 

and encloses a recent photo of his son, Tai.


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 

Vance Nishimoto 

I hope that everyone had a 

pleasant summer. I know I did. 

I spent almost two weeks in 

Hawaii on the island of Oahu 

and had a wonderful time. My 

daughter Kaylie performed 

three shows while I was there. 

She performed one show at Windward Mall, one 

at Ala Moana Mall, and one at a 

homeless shelter in Waianae. It 

was a bit enlightening to see the 

hard work the State of Hawaii is 

doing in trying to help the 

homeless. We also managed to 

visit the Obon at the Waipahu 

Hongwanji Mission. They had 

two food booths. One that sold 

many food dishes like chicken 

teriyaki, beef teriyaki, udon, etc. 

The other one sold dango (very 

good). They danced odori to 

recorded music and also to live music, played 

by their Okinawan group and Kagoshima group 

if I remember correctly. One thing about live 

music is that they can play a song indefinitely. 

Kathy (left foreground in red) and Kaylie (center 

foreground in red) were pooped after dancing to 

those dances with live music. 

I hope that everyone has recuperated from our 

own Obon Festival. The Festival was a success! I 

want to thank all those temple members who 

helped make it a success. I want to thank the 

Bay Cities Gardeners Association for the work 

on the temple garden. I want to thank (in no 

particular order) the West LA Youth Club, the 

Friends of Bob’s Sporting Goods, the 

Westside YMCA, Nishi Hui Aikane, Friends of 

Yuki Sakurai and Dr. Jack Fujimoto, and the 

many other volunteers that my poor brain 

cannot remember. If you too 

would like to be recognized, 

please let me know and I will 

certainly let everyone know of 

your support. 

Photo by author 

On Saturday, September 13, 

we will be hosting the Fall 

Ohigan Seminar starting at 

9:30 am. On Sunday, September 

14, we will have our Fall 

Ohigan service starting at 

10:00 am. 

Note that the first Monday is Labor Day so our 

monthly temple board meeting will be held on 

Tuesday, September 2, starting at 7:30pm. 

You can call me at (818) 831-4922 or email me 

at wlabtpres.vance@verizon.net 

In gassho, 

Vance Nishimoto 

WLABT President 

 

BUDDHIST MEN SAVE UDON BURNERS AT LAST MOMENT! 

Rick Stambul 

It appeared to some to be just another usual Saturday morning 

in the parking lot of our West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple on 

June 21. Some others might venture to say that most of the 

parking lot looked more like an organized flea market instead of a 

more typical morning when it might be empty except for a few 

parked cars. But this morning was different. Everything was 

ready for the annual yard sale to raise funds for our 80 Plus 

Lunch Program. Looking through the haze of that early morning, 

minutes before the gates opened to the rush of people anxious for 

a bargain, Mas Sasaki, President of Buddhist Men, was alert and 

on the lookout. As he turned around, he saw it. No doubt about 

it. Looking at the photo next to this article you can see exactly 

what he saw: Two powerful burners absolutely essential for 

making udon for one of Buddhist Men’s Obon Festival booths. 

They had cost more than $500 and had been quite difficult to 

find the year before. But something was definitely wrong. Masako 

(cont’d on page 7) 

4


VISITING DIGNITARIES AT 2008 WLA OBON FESTIVAL by Jack Fujimoto 

Rosendahl, Hara, and West Introduced 

Rev. Usuki Gets Commendation 

On Sunday, July 27, our 

"shepherd for the vote" in the 

ll th Council District, Bill 

Rosendahl, came to the WLA 

Obon Festival. He presented a 

Certificate of Commendation to 

our resident Temple minister, 

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki, for his involvement in 

spreading community goodwill. During his 

remarks, he reiterated his respect for religious 

tolerance and the importance of appreciating 

the work of ancestors. 

Bill Rosendahl proceeded to introduce Deputy 

Chief Terry Hara of the Los Angeles Police 

Department, calling Terry the "highest ranking 

Asian American police official" in the nation, 

and stating that he was delighted to have Terry 

as head of the West(ern Los Angeles) Bureau 

which covers much of Bill Rosendahl's area. 

Deputy Chief Hara has not only endeared 

himself to the extremely large community of 

Westside citizens, but also has stated publicly 

that he wants to help the Asian American 

communities such as Sawtelle. So, we are proud 

to have Chief Hara visit and become known as 

"our friend.” 

Deputy Chief Hara 

introduced James West, 

newly appointed captain of the West Los 

Angeles Department of LAPD on Butler Avenue. 

Captain West and his family were grateful to be 

invited to the WLA Obon Festival. He invited the 

Obon public to call his office for services at any 

time. Captain West issued the invitation and 

therefore, the "door is open" for us to use. 

It is through the offices of these visiting 

dignitaries that the WLA Buddhist Temple can 

cordon off a block of La Grange Avenue to hold 

our weekend Obon Odori. We are grateful that 

Obon dancing can safely proceed on the street. 

Nisei Week 2007 Queen's Court and 2008 Queen 

Candidates Appear 

Monica Teuffel, 2007 Nisei Week Queen, 

addressed the Obon Odori crowd on Saturday 

evening. She expressed her thanks to the West 

Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary and Venice 

Japanese Community Center for their sponsorship 

of her before being named Queen. 

The Odori crowd was overwhelmed with the 

many 2007 Queen's Court members and several 

2008 Nisei Week candidates who individually 

addressed the audience. This is the first time in 

40 years of announcing the Obon dances that 

so many Nisei Week dignitaries appeared. 

Maybe, their wanting to visit indicates the value 

of their exposure to the WLABT Obon audience. 

In any event, we are the beneficiaries. 

Photo by Peter Babida 

L to R: Deputy Chief Terry Hara, Captain James West, 

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki with Commendation, and Councilman Bill Rosendahl 

5


DHARMA SCHOOL NEWS 

Grace Mizushima 

Thank you to everyone who 

participated in the Obon 

dancing this year. I hope 

you will all agree with me 

that we had another great 

year of dancing. There were 

many dancers lining the 

street on both nights. I was 

impressed again at the many dancers who were 

colorfully dressed in their beautiful kimonos. 

We could not have pulled it off without the help 

of the teachers who dedicated their time as 

usual. I would like to recognize them again 

because they deserve it (see list below)!! I would 

also like to thank Mrs. Kayo Ohkawahira again 

for helping us get our lines formed and even on 

both sides. We were able to get all dancers onto 

the street on both days!! Lastly, I would like to 

thank the audio equipment staff: Greg 

Mizushima, Russell Tagawa, and Vance 

Nishimoto, and of course our MC, Dr. Jack 

Fujimoto. 

2008 Obon Dance Teachers: 

Fujimoto, Grace Nishimoto, Kaylie 

Fujimoto, Crystal Ohkawahira, Diane 

Hoy, Denice Ohkawahira, Nathan 

Hoy, Emily 

Pierce, Jacqui 

Hoy, Katie 

Raposa, Stan 

Matsumune, Haru Sakurai, Yuki 

Mizushima, Grace Stambul, Rick 

Mizushima, Kylie Tamura-Pedersen, Joko 

Murayama, Atsie Yahata, Beverly 

Nakaba, Kiku 

ever wrong!!! Laraine initially bought 30 pairs. 

Those of you who were at the practice that night 

we sold them, saw that they went like hotcakes!! 

Laraine bought additional naurko. Again, they 

were ALL sold. Thank you, Laraine, for helping 

us get all the naruko! 

In August, WLA sent nine children to the 

LABCC camp held at Camp Morningstar in the 

San Bernardino Mountains: Amanda & Derek 

Bang, Emily & Katie Hoy, Kylie Mizushima, 

Kaylie Nishimoto, Nathan & Ryan 

Ohkawahira, and Nicholas Pedersen. They left 

on Saturday, August 2, from Nishi Hongwanji. 

This year, after the Camp awareness campaign, 

they were able to get 190 participants! Last year 

they only had 130 campers! This is definitely 

the most campers WLA has sent in recent years! 

We will be sure to get a report from the campers 

after they return. 

Back row: Nathan, Kylie, Kaylie, Amanda, Emily, Katie 

Front row: Nicholas, Ryan, Derek 

(see article above for last names) 

Photo by Grace Mizushima 

 

Photo by Peter Babida 

At this time I would like to extend special 

thanks to Ms. Laraine Miyata. Laraine was our 

buyer of the “naruko” (the clackers or noisemakers 

we used for Yosakoi Naruko Odori). 

Since this was our second year with this dance, 

I didn’t think there would be very many people 

who still wanted to purchase the naruko. Was I 

6 

Friday, September 19, 7:30 p.m.


BWA NEWS 

Haru Matsumune 

Beef brisket … some people 

really look forward to the booth 

construction lunch. We can all 

thank Yasuko Shohara and 

Shirley Ito and Toban 2 for 

preparing another great meal! 

Did you enjoy chirashi, sushi, or Spam musubi 

during our Obon Festival? These specialties 

were provided through the capable leadership of 

sushi booth chairperson Gail Yamanaka. Work 

begins months before the event, and two ladies 

helped Gail from the beginning with planning, 

taste-testing, and shopping. A special thank you 

to these two ladies, who worked so tirelessly 

behind the scenes. 

Obon weekend days begin especially early for 

Hidemi Ohkawahira, who drives out to 

Gardena to pick up the cooked rice for us. Not 

only that, but he also sharpens all of our knives. 

Many people contributed to the success of the 

sushi booth. We would especially like to 

acknowledge Masako Ishioka, who has been 

helping us for many, many years; Susan 

Ishioka-Pai and her in-laws; Pat Bungo and 

her daughters; Sumi Shohara; Gwen Toma; 

and Tamiko Yamaguchi. Mata dōzo yoroshiku 

onegai shimasu! 

BWA 

What Would Buddha Do? 

school of life. 

Jacqui Pierce 

Most people live very busy 

lifestyles and sometimes 

when we are so busy that we 

forget to take the time for 

learning. Buddha says that it 

takes concentration. Not only 

that, it takes time. We cannot 

be hasty or negligent or we 

will stop learning in the 

Listening and Learning are two very important 

abilities that we all carry with us. Even Buddha 

took years to learn everything his gurus taught. 

It will take us longer. I believe Buddha would 

want us to take time and remember the 

importance of Listening and Learning. 

MIRACLES DO TRANSPIRE 

Day before Obon, Friday, 

preparations were being made 

to serve delicious udon on 

Saturday and Sunday. But 

who was going to prepare the 

kamaboko, chashu, and onions, 

because active Buddhist Men 

were almost non-existent now? 

Masako Ishioka must have realized the 

dilemma I was in; she volunteered to help 

prepare whatever was necessary. BWA ladies 

present and Masako all took part in cutting 

each kamaboko stick into 24 pieces (for 55 total 

sticks) and slicing 40 lbs. of chashu into small 

pieces. Buddhist Men who showed up only had 

to prepare the onions and remaining chashu to 

be picked up on Saturday. 

My second problem was whether enough 

workers would show up to run the udon booth. 

The answer was YES! We had many new faces, 

men and women, who did a wonderful job. 

I would like to thank you all for rescuing the 

Buddhist Men. Lately, we are being saved by 

many organizations. Maybe the Buddhist Men 

should join the BWA and become honorary 

members. 

Again, thank you! 

Mas Sasaki 

(Buddhist Men Save Udon Burners cont’d from page 4) 

Ishioka, one of our two hardworking chairpersons 

for the 80 Plus Yard Sale (in addition to 

Chiyo Nitta), thought the burners looked rather 

ordinary sitting in the corner of the garage when 

she arrived early that morning to set up for the 

day. So she marked them for what she imagined 

they were worth and put them on sale for Five 

Bucks! Fortunately, Mas rescued them before 

the gates opened that morning and secreted 

them back into the recesses of the garage, 

saving them for a successful udon sale at our 

Obon Festival. Whew! That was a close call. 

Thank you, Sasaki San! 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

Tri-Temple (Venice, WLA, Gardena) Seminar 

Saturday, October 11, 2008, 1 – 4 p.m. 

at WLA Buddhist Temple 

7 

SEE MORE OBON PHOTOS 

This Bulletin contains only a few of the great 

many Obon photos available to us. To see more 

photos, go to the WLABT Photo Gallery at: 

http://wlabt.smugmug.com/gallery/5585765_fzsfa


80 PLUS YARD SALE 

The annual 80 Plus Yard Sale 

for the 80 Plus Lunch Program 

was a huge success 

thanks to the hard work of 

the helpers. A special thanks 

to the Buddhist Men who 

took out the tables, racks, 

tents, and tarps. We could 

not have had the sale without 

the countless members who 

helped to set up, sell, and 

clean up. We appreciate your 

wonderful support. 

The yard sale would not be 

possible without generous 

donations from members and 

friends. Your castoffs can be 

treasures for others so please 

keep us in mind for next year. 

Thank you again for your 

continued support of this 

program. 

Masako Ishioka & Chiyo Nitta 

Yard Sale Co-Chairs 

Books & games for all ages 

Stuffed animals for kiddies 

Jewelry for the women 

Rods and reels for the men 

80 PLUS LUNCH 

JUNE 

80 PLUS BIRTHDAY 

CELEBRATION 

 

Kaye Okitsu with son 

Walter 

 

and with lunch friends 

Kay Kikunaga and 

Barbara Tanaka 

If you are a Temple member who became or will become 80 years old anytime this year, 

you are welcome to attend the 80 Plus Lunch held once a month, usually on the last 

Monday. Come and chat with your friends, and make new friends, over a tasty, filling 

meal prepared by skilled volunteer Temple cooks. There is no charge and no donation 

expected. If you need transportation, call either Masako Ishioka (310-398-2902) or 

Lorraine Soda (310-479-7645), 80 Plus Lunch co-chairs, to arrange for a ride. 

8


SD CONFERENCE SNAPSHOTS - Photos by Roger Itaya (SFVHBT) 

Standing: Kay Kafka, Rob Kafka, Mrs. TamikoTada 

Seated: Tosh Ishioka, Toshiko Uyekubo, Kiyoko Nakamura, Richard Stambul, 

Ritsuko Uto, Hisako Kokado 

Bishops' Memorial Service 

Speaker 

Rimban George Matsubayashi 

Standing: Jonathan Lappen, Jaime Heyl, Kaylie Nishimoto, Vance Nishimoto, 

Kathy Nishimoto, Haru Matsumune, Beverly Yahata, Kayo Ohkawahira 

Seated: Miyuki Lappen, Yasuko Shohara, Atsuko Murayama, Lorraine Soda 

2008 GRADUATES 

Panel Moderator 

WLABT Resident Minister 

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki 

Elementary School graduate Katie Hoy and Middle 

School graduate Terumi Yahata with Rev. Usuki 

UCLA grad Nicole Okita and 

CSULB grad Mariel Tenorio 

9


West LA Taiko Performs over July Fourth Weekend 

It was a historic occasion for 

WLABT’s Buddhist Taiko group: 

We performed for the San 

Fernando Valley Hongwanji 

Buddhist Temple Obon Festival 

over the July Fourth weekend. 

Our selfless taiko sensei, Elaine 

Fukumoto, Joyce Layne, and 

Audrey Nakasone (in alphabetic order), spent 

countless hours to prepare our WLA Taiko for 

the occasion. We performed both on Saturday 

and Sunday, falling into exhaustion and 

exhilaration in the valley heat. 

Elaine, Joyce, and Audrey led us in a running 

sprint (or was it more like a trot?) to perform in 

front of the yagura to show our stuff (see photo 

below of the hordes descending). Rev. Fumiaki 

Usuki, the founder of WLA Taiko and builder of 

our 20-plus taiko, cheered us on. 

Rev. Art Takemoto served as a minister at 

WLABT from 1964 to 1976. He was WLABT’s 

first English-speaking minister, guiding the 

Temple during its early period of transition from 

Japanese to English services. Rev. Takemoto 

wrote eloquently about Buddhist Taiko as contrasted 

with other taiko forms. 

“Buddhist Taiko, then, becomes the three treasures 

of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha working 

and revealing itself to us. Because of this fact, 

the joy that can be found in taiko becomes the 

joy of hearing the Buddha-Dharma. To perform 

becomes an expression of one’s joy and gratitude 

by Rick Stambul 

at being able to hear and receive that which is 

most difficult to hear and receive. It is for this 

reason that this joy, Horaku, is accompanied by 

a sense of deep respect and reverence. For 

example, one notes that the beginning of a 

performance often begins with the blowing of the 

Hora (conch shell). This signals the movement of 

one’s entering into the path of the Dharma (the 

voice of the Buddha-Dharma), and the 

performers will put their hands together in 

gassho with the bachi held between the thumb 

and index finger and bow with reverence and 

repeat Namo Amida Butsu. 

On the other hand, however, when one disregards 

the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, disharmony 

and discord result. This is reflected in 

the performance. The performance becomes filled 

with ego, and the harmony that can be found in 

the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha disappears. 

Hence, Buddhist Taiko represents the beauty 

and joy of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha 

working harmoniously, or represents the discord 

that can result when the ego works in opposition 

to the Buddha and Dharma and becomes more 

important than the Sangha. 

As a means of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist propagation, 

the primary purpose and goal of each taiko 

player and the listener is to teach and learn the 

Dharma by being embraced in both body and 

mind to the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma, 

and Sangha.” 

Namo Amida Butsu. 

10


The July-August 2005 issue 

of the Bulletin features an 

article which details the 

beginning of WLA Taiko. Rev. 

Fumiaki Usuki, with the help 

of his friend Chico Jimenez, 

learned about taiko-making 

using old wine barrels. 

Three years and 20 taiko 

later, Rev. Usuki is known for 

his enthusiasm and appreciation 

of this instrument. He 

happily agreed to help three 

young UC Berkeley men learn 

how to make taiko. 

There was an older taiko at 

WLA which was in need of 

new hides and other repairs. 

This was the taiko chosen for 

the project. 

The name Harada, Kakuji 

was on the outside of the 

taiko. Kakuji and his wife 

Shimano had donated the 

taiko in 1956. 

When the skin was taken off, 

they discovered that the taiko 

had been made by carving 

out one section of the trunk 

of a tree. Inside, names of the 

people who worked on the 

taiko were found, dated 1955. 

53-YEAR-OLD TAIKO REJUVENATED 

Papers in the Temple office show that Mr. and Mrs. Kakuji Harada 

had lived on the 2000 block of Butler Avenue and both passed 

away in mid-1965. 

(Photos by Rev. Usuki) 

Taiko donated in 1956 by Mr. Harada 

UC Berkeley Taiko Members: 

L to R: Ryan Yamasaki, Byron Yamanaka, 

and 

Jeff Sasaki (former WLA Taiko member) 

Carvers' names 

Rejuvenated Taiko 

 

MORE WLA HISTORY – 40 YEARS AGO 

In the last issue of the Bulletin, we published a photo (repeated below) of the WLABT 1968 Accordion 

Band National Champions and asked anyone who knew the names of anyone in the photo to let us 

know. Mrs. Toshiye Ohigashi came by 

with a list naming everyone. Thank you, 

Mrs. Ohigashi. 

First row (L to R): Randy Yoshimoto 

(drummer), Michael Shirai, Art Maeda, 

Steven Ohigashi (band leader), and Larry 

Nagaoka. 

Second row: Late Keith Shirasawa, Kuniko 

Akutagawa (Reynolds), Sue Hada (Shirai), 

Nancy Sera, Terry Akutagawa, Dennis 

Yokotake, and Gary Ishii. 

Back row: Late Art Hada (manager) and Lila 

Hart (Hart Accordion School). 

11


Community 

Contribution 

Program 

‣ Total to-date: $3,234.58 

Thanks to you, WLABT receives a generous 

contribution from Ralphs every quarter. 

The next program cycle runs Sep. 1, 2008 - 

Aug. 31, 2009. Please enroll in the new 

Ralphs Rewards program, which replaces 

the Ralphs Club Card. Only Ralphs Rewards 

cards can be enrolled for the 2008-2009 

community contribution program. Thank you! 

Ralphs 

Reward Card 

number 

Name 

Address 

City, ST zip 

(NPO 82448: West LA Buddhist Temple) 

Please fill in this form and return it to WLABT 

if you want us to enroll your card 

Question: If I give my new Ralphs Reward Card number to the Temple, does that mean that my Ralphs 

cash rewards will go to the Temple instead of myself? 

Answer: No. We have checked this out with Ralphs and have been assured that Ralphs cash rewards 

and Community Contribution Program are separate programs. You can check this out for yourself by 

calling 800-660-9003. 

We Bid Farewell to Shredder 

by Rick Stambul 

Shredder, a loveable and engaging Chihuahua dog frequently 

seen around West LA Temple, and who shared 

her home with longtime WLA member, Stan Raposa, 

and Mike Ball, passed away on July 18, one day after 

her last appearance on a cool Thursday evening 

following Odori dance practice. She will be missed by all. 

The importance of a dog, a cat, a bird, or any pet or 

companion friend should not be underestimated. To 

paraphrase part of the closing argument made to the 

jury in the court case of Burden v. Hornsby (1870 

Missouri) in which a man whose dog had been shot by 

his neighbor merely for trespassing on his property, his 

lawyer famously said, The one absolutely unselfish 

friend that one can have in this selfish world, the one 

that never deserts him, and the one that never proves 

ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.” 

12


SEPTEMBER SHOTSUKI HOYO, 10:00 a.m., Saturday September 6, 2008 

Aita, Nobuko 

Arita, Kaneto 

Fukuhara, Ume 

Fukumoto, Jimmy 

Hada, Wasano 

Ishii, Sadako 

Ishioka, Masako 

Iwasaki, Karl 

Kamibayashi, Yoshiko 

Kato, Kei 

Kazumura, Shizue 

Kazumura, Yoshio 

Kojima, Hatsu 

Kojima, Hisashi 

Kondo, Frank 

Koshiyama, Harry 

Koshiyama, Hisano 

Kurokawa, Fusae 

Maeda, Yoneo 

Mataga, Tameichi 

Mayeda, Tsutaye 

Mayetani, Sadaichi 

Miyahara, Karo 

Mochizuki, Shinsaku 

Mori, Hachijiro 

Murata, Takeo 

Nagatome, Seikichi 

Nakagawa, Michiko 

Nakamura, Takano 

Nakashima, Chima 

Nicho, Ei 

Ohnoki, Pat 

Okubo, Nobuichi 

Sakahara, Matsukichi 

Sakurai, Matasaku 

Sasaki, Takeo 

Sasaki, Tatsuo 

Shimomaye, Wataru 

Shintaku, Sadako 

Soda, Steven 

Takemoto, Mamoru 

Takenoshita, Shintaro 

Tanaka, George 

Totani, Wakano 

Ueno, Shotaro 

Yabuta, Robert 

Yuzuki, Minoru 

 

FALL OHIGAN SEMINAR 

秋季お彼岸セミナー 

土曜日 2008 年 9 月 13 日 

午前 9 時半 - 午後 1 時 

ウエストロスアンゼルス仏教会 

日本語のセミナー 

福間誠幹先生 

会費は一人 $10 をお願い致します、 

この中にはこの日の昼食代が含まれています。 

Saturday, September 13, 2008 

9:30 am - 1:00 pm 

West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple 

Seminar in English 

Rev. Dr. Michihiro Ama 

We are requesting $10/person, which 

helps defray costs and includes lunch. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

WLABT Ohigan Seminar (9/13/08) Registration deadline: Thursday, 9/4/2008 

Name Phone number e-mail address 日本語 Eng 

( ) - 

( ) - 

( ) - 

Please enclose $10/person. Please write separate checks for your Ohigan Service 

donation and your Ohigan Seminar registration. 

13


17


18


September 2008 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 

1 

Temple Closed 

2 

7:30 pm Temple 

Board mtg 

3 4 

1 pm Study Class (E) 

5 

Rev. Usuki off 

6 

10 am Shotsuki Hoyo 

7 2008-2009 

Dharma School 

session starts 

9:30 am Service/ 

Study Class (E) 

12 noon BWA mtg 

8 


9 

10:30 am SD 

Ministers mtg at 

Betsuin 

10 

7:30 pm B-Men mtg 

11 


7:30 pm Taiko 

12 

5 pm 2009 SD Conf 

mtg at Venice 

7:30 pm SD Council 

mtg at Venice 

13 

9:30 am - 1pm 

Ohigan Seminar 

Rev. S. Fukuma (J) 

Rev. Dr. M. Ama (E) 

14 

10:00 am Ohigan 

Service 

Rev. S. Fukuma (J) 

Rev. Dr. M. Ama (E) 

Lunch follows 

15 


16 


17 18 


7:30 pm Taiko 

19 

7:30 pm Bingo 

20 

21 



22 

23 

24 

25 


26 27 

1 pm Shigin 

Kinryukai 



7:30 pm Asoka mtg 

7:30 pm Taiko 

28 



29 

12 noon 80 Plus 

Lunch 

30 


Bulletin folding 

toban: BWA 

Office hours: 10 am - 4 pm 

Phone: 310-477-7274 

E-mail: westlabt@verizon.net 

Website: www.wlabt.org 

19


20


NOVEMBER PREVIEWS 

JOINT SERVICE WITH SAN FERNANDO, AT SAN FERNANDO 

November 2, 10 a.m. 

Lunch follows 

JOINT SERVICE WITH VENICE, AT VENICE 

November 16, 9:30 a.m. 

Breakfast precedes at 7:30 a.m. 

Look for details in future Bulletins, 

and mark your calendars 

21

WEST LOS ANGELES BUDDHIST TEMPLE 

2003 Corinth Avenue 

Los Angeles, CA 90025 

Return Service Requested 

Non-Profit Org. 

U. S. Postage 

PAID 

Los Angeles, CA 

Permit No. 20953 

Major Religious Events for September 2008 

(See Calendar page for schedules of regular services) 

September 2008 

Saturday, September 13 

9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Fall Ohigan Seminar 

Rev. Seikan Fukuma (J) 

Rev. Dr. Michihiro Ama (E) 

Sunday, September 14 

10:00 a.m. - Fall Ohigan Service 

Rev. Seikan Fukuma (J) 

Rev. Dr. Michihiro Ama (E) 

Lunch follows

2008 September Bulletin - West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple

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