Independence Day BY REV. HARRY GYOKYO BRIDGE

WHEN YOU SEE THIS EXPRESSION

“Independence Day” what do you

think of? The 4th of July? Freedom?

The movie “Independence Day”? For

myself, I think that it has meant differ-

ent things to me at different times. Al-

though my father wasn’t in the military,

he was an engineer who worked for

a company that contracted to the Air

Force. That was why he was in Japan

in the ‘60s and met the woman who

would become his wife and my moth-

er. So I grew up with a fairly “patriotic”

upbringing, and the story of the Fourth

of July commemorating the indepen-

dence of the United States rings true

for me to a certain extent.

The United States itself symbolizes

many things, often different things for

different people. At its best, it holds up

the possibility of freedom and equal-

ity. Interestingly, these can also be seen

as core values in Buddhism. Hopefully,

Buddhism can help inform what free-

dom means to us – not freedom from

responsibility, not freedom to do what-

ever I want at the expense of others,

but instead, freedom from oppression,

freedom from suffering.

Maybe it can also lead us to ask

– can anyone or anything be truly

independent? Buddhism teaches us

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Minister’s Message 1-2

President’s Message 1 & 4

Gakuen News 2

Dhama School News 3

2016 BCO Bazaar & 3Food Festival Acknowledgements

HO-ON Service Teams 4

Temple Tid-Bits 4

Congratulations 5Judy Sakaki!

Momiji Kai News 5

Jr. YBA News 6

Buddhist Education 6News

BCO Youth Basketball 7 League

June Shotsuki Service 8

OBWA News 9

Thank you 9 Mits Nakayama

Hatsumairi 2016 9

Obon Lantern Tribute 10Form

Obon Volunteer 11-14 Schedules

Busshin Deadline Info 11

BCO Picnic Form 15

Calendar 16-17

IN THIS ISSUE

VOL 59 NUM 7

JU

LY

20

16

J-SEI FLAVORS OF SPRING:

On April 22nd, Gayle (Noguchi) and

I attended J-SEI’s Third Annual

Flavors of Spring held at the Berkeley

City Club (one block from the Jodo

Shinshu Center). This event benefi t-

ted the Senior Center activities and

programs that help older adults in

the East Bay community. BCO is a

member of J-SEI and was a spon-

sor for this event. The evening

consisted of two rooms of appetizers,

desserts and drinks from several

establishments around the Bay Area,

along with a Silent Auction. We had

a chance to meet and visit with a

number of friends from around the

area, including other BCO members.

For more information about J-SEI,

visit their website at www.j-sei.org.

CONTINUED ON PAGE4

President’s Message BY ROBERT NOGUCHI

JULY 20162

Independence DayCONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

that nothing exists in a vacuum – we

can only exist because of others. So

in an important sense, we are actu-

ally never independent, we are always

interdependent – our existence

depends on innumerable causes and

conditions. Cultivating an awareness of

this hopefully leads us to see our lives in

a different way. Wisdom and Compas-

sion always surround us, whether we

are aware of it or not. Awareness of this

can actually transform our lives.

I feel like I should say something

about the movie “Independence Day” –

I was never a fan, I didn’t see it when

I came out and have never been able to

sit through the entire thing. But I know

that other people did like it. And af-

ter I began writing this article, I found

out that they are making a sequel:

“Independence Day: Resurgence”!

Somehow, I don’t think I will see it, at

least not right away…

Gakuen News BY GARY TOMINAGA

OUR OAKLAND NIPPONGO GAKUEN

and BCO honored 2 sensei for their

respective 12-year anniversaries at the

Family Dharma Service on Sunday,

May 15th.

Ms. Nobue Yamada is Gakuen’s

Elementary School class Sensei. Simi-

lar to Ms. Kathy Aoki in Dharma School

and others, most every student who

started at Gakuen while they were

in elementary school were taught

by Yamada Sensei. She certainly has

sustained her students’ interest in

Nihongo to continue on to study in the

Middle School and High School Gakuen

classes. Yamada Sensei also teaches

Japanese children’s songs at Daruma

No Gakko(u), among her many other

activities.

Ms. Mami Yamagishi is Gakuen’s

High School class Sensei. In the past,

she’s also taught the Adult Advanced

class. Gakuen has also received

generous monetary donations from

Yamagishi Sensei, in addition to her

ongoing hard work as a teacher.

Yamagishi Sensei usually works on

Sundays, and took a day off just to

be at the Service.

For this special Family Dharma

Service, we sang gathas, Hotoke Sama

(in Japanese) and Sayo(u)nara.

Also present was Ms. Mika Fairchild,

who is Gakuen’s Adult Beginners’ and

Adult Advanced class Sensei. Ms. Keiko

Aizawa is Gakuen’s Middle School class

Sensei. Ms. Fumiko Takagi is Gakuen’s

Adult Intermediate class Sensei (and

I’m one of her still-have-a-lot-to-learn

gakusei). Ms. Tasha Yorozu is Gakuen’s

Volunteer Assistant Sensei.

Gakuen also expresses sincere

appreciation to Mr. Jon Takagaki

and President, Mr. Robert Noguchi,

for their kindness and consideration

in thinking of and coordinating this 12

Year Anniversary Appreciation. Gakuen

would also like to extend special thanks

to Rev. Bridge for his heartfelt and

introspective Dharma Talk on the

meaning and continuing value of Ni-

hongo in our past, present and future.

Do(u)mo arigato(u) gozaimashi-

ta and osewa ni narimashita to our

Gakuen Board Of Directors: Mr. Ron

Nomura, Mr. Jon Takagaki, Mr. Steve

Terusaki, Ms. Carol Thunen and Ms.

Anne Tominaga.

Gakuen welcomes both BCO

members and non-members to enroll

at any time during the school year from

September to June. Gakuen Sensei,

students, and parents generously vol-

unteer every year at BCO Mochitsuki

and make Imagawayaki together at the

Bazaar & Food Festival.

Left to right: President Robert Noguchi, Gakuen Sensei Mami Yamagishi, Gakuen Sensei Nobue Yamada, Bridge Sensei, Gary Tominaga

JULY 20163

Dharma School News BY MAYA LAWRENCE

THE FEDERATION OF DHARMA

School Teachers Leagues (FDSTL)

held their annual conference on

April 22, 23, and 24th. Maya Lawrence

and Jun Hamamoto attended the

conference in Sacramento: Dharma

for Dummies III. It was the last confer-

ence in a trilogy and a thank you to

Rev. Bob Oshita and Rev. Patti Oshita

who will be retiring. In our workshops,

we talked about effective strategies

to use in the classroom and how to help

students see how relevant Buddhism

is to our daily lives. The FDSTL spon-

sored a poetry contest whose theme

was “Gratitude.” Each district chose

three poems to display at the confer-

ence. The Bay District Dharma School

Teacher’s League (BDDSTL) asked

each temple to submit three po-

ems and the board of the BDDSTL

chose three from among many

poems. Kiyomi Nomura’s poem

was chosen as one of the three

to represent the Bay District.

We presented a $50 gift and letter

of congratulations to Kiyomi.

Congratulations, Kiyomi! Here is

Kiyomi’s haiku:

listening, helping

lending me a helping hand

expecting nothing

-Kiyomi Nomura

During the month of May, the

Dharma School donated the Osaisen

collected at services in May to

Earthquake Relief to aid the survivors

of the Japan earthquake. We hope your

Osaisen will help make their lives a little

easier.

Thank you to the Jr. YBA for a

delicious Sangha Day Breakfast. Those

crepes were fantastic!!

We wished Shinran Shonin a

happy 843rd birthday at our Gotan-e

service. The OBWA and Jr. YBA

presented a workshop to commemo-

rate his birthday. The students made

cupcakes decorated with a Shinran

Shonin fi gure and a nenju. Thank you

to Mrs. JoAnne Hayashida, Patti Hisao-

ka, June Nomura, Kathy Terusaki, Tricia

Lee, and Lianne Tsujimoto for bringing

the fabulous cupcakes. Thank you to

Kiyomi Nomura for designing the

Shinran Shonin fi gure out of fondant!

And thank you to the Jr. YBA who

gave individual attention to each of

our Dharma School students. We really

appreciate your time and your efforts!

Plus, they were yummy!

We will hold our last Dharma School

classes on June 5. At the last service, we

will honor students who have attended

up to 29 services with a certifi cate and

for students who have attended 30 or

more services, an attendance pin! The

Church will also celebrate the gradua-

tions of students from kindergarten to

fi rst grade, from elementary to middle

school, middle school to high school,

high school and college.

Thank you to our generous donors:

Mark and Tomita Shimamoto – in

memory of their pets Koumori Kitty,

Sandy (aka Niji), Bernie Shelty, Corbu,

Ella, and Sunny D.

Renie Grohl - in memory of her pets

Rosie, Scooter, Chuck

Happy Birthday We wish a happy birthday to our

students born in June: Martha Castro,

Grant Ikeda, Garrett Kamita, Binh Liang,

Emiko Takemoto, and Mika Taga. Wishing

you all the best.

JULY 2016

BCO Bazaar & Food Festival Acknowledgements

Thank you for your generous support!

Bay Area Beverage Company

700 National Court, Richmond, CA 94804

Berkeley Symphony

1942 University Avenue, Suite 207

Berkeley, CA 94704

Blue Waters Kayaking

Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Books Inc.

1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710

Canyon Swim School

21 Campbell Lane, El Sobrante, CA 94803

Children’s Discovery Museum

180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA 95110

Folkmanis Puppets

1219 Park Avenue, Emeryville, CA 94608

Jay Kaneshige, Kaneshige Designs

3475 Investment Blvd., #6

Hayward, 94545

Las Positas Golf Course

917 Clubhouse Drive, Livermore, CA 94551

Lee’s Florist

1420 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702

Little River Inn

7901 Highway One, Little River, CA 95456

Marge Morimoto

Cindy Sakai-Kim

Semfreddi’s Bakery

1980 North Loop Road

Alameda, CA 94502

Shotgun Players

901 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94703

Sozai Corner

71 E 4th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401

Tibet Souvenirs

2168 Center St., Berkeley, CA 94704

Tomita Shimamoto

Sunset view Cemetery Association

El Cerrito, CA 94530

Janice Yamamoto

Jerry Yoshida & Gloria Yoshida

JULY 20164

President’s MessageCONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

May was an extremely busy month,

as I traveled to Sacramento for the

Federation of Dharma School Teach-

ers Conference (FDSTL) with the BCA

Bookstore on April 30-May 1. Thank

you to the BCO Jr. YBA members and

parents for hosting the Annual Parents’

Day Breakfast on May 8th. On May

15th, we celebrated the BCO Gakuen

with a special service and honored two

long-time instructors: Sensei Nobue

Yamada and Sensei Mami Yamagishi

for their years of service. On May 21st,

Rev. Jerry Kyosei Hirano and his wife,

Dr. Carmela Javellana, presented a

seminar on “Monku, Monku, Monku,”

then Rev. Hirano was guest speaker for

our Gotan-e/Fujimatsuri service. Over

Memorial Day weekend, I dropped in

on both the Bay District Jr. YBA Vol-

leyball Tournament at Alameda Point

and Social Event at BCO. The month

was capped off by accompanying Rev.

Bridge and Gayle Noguchi on Ceme-

tery Services on May 29th.

As we head in to our busy summer

season, I look forward to seeing and

working with everyone on our upcom-

ing Annual Bazaar & Food Festival, the

Church Picnic in July, and Obon Festi-

val in August. As always, I’m grateful

for everyone’s participation, donations

and generous giving of your time and

efforts to support BCO. Thank you,

everyone!

OBON FESTIVAL (SATURDAY,

AUG 6TH): This is my favorite event,

in that it reunites us with friends and

family, working together, and dancing

together under the lanterns and stars

(wearing our new BCO Hapi Coats).

Please join us for a wonderful time

with the BCO family. Look for the Duty

Roster and Work Schedule in this edi-

tion of the Busshin. If you have not yet

been assigned a work shift (or would

like to do more), please contact Linda

Minamoto at lminamoto@att.net, or

the Church offi ce. We need everyone’s

help, so please commit to working your

assigned shift(s), and if you can’t, fi nd

your own replacement.

THANK YOU TO MAKO OTSUKA

for maintaining the various plants and

trees in our beautiful garden. We ap-

preciate all your hard work.

The new chairs have arrived!

Members and guests who may be

physically challenged can now sit and

stand comfortably with our 10 new

social hall chairs. Thank you to Leslie

Dougherty, and Joyce Yokomizo for

coordinating the purchase and deliv-

ery of the chairs and to John Mina-

moto for unpacking, and assembling

the dolly.

A big thank you to Ron Nomura

for picking-up rice at Koda Farms,

Dos Palos, CA.

Thank you to the work crew for

the work you did, Al Kanzaki, Don

Kaneshige, John Minamoto, Aki

Morimoto, Gail Ryujin, Digger Sasaki,

and Clifford Yokomizo. We’re grateful

for all you do!.

HŌ-ON Service Teams

Temple Tid-Bits

THE HO-ON SERVICE TEAMS ARE LISTED BELOW. IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN CONTACTED AND

and you would like to help on a team, please call the offi ce (510) 832-5988 or email offi cebco@gmail.com. We wel-

come all members and friends of the BCO to be part of a Host Group, so feel free to invite your children and extended

family to help out on the teams. Please note that these service teams do not affect our BCO Bazaar & Food Festi-

val shifts or our Obon Festival shifts. Your help at these two major fundraisers is still vital to the life of our church.

In Gassho, The BCO Board of Directors

HO-ON SERVICE TEAM 8:(Responsible for July, 2016)Joyce Yokomizo (Leader)

Yoshi Akiyoshi

JoAnne Hayashida

Richard & Gail Isono

Steven & Elizabeth Isono

Albert & Miharu Kanzaki

Dennis Katayama

Robert & Teri Kido

Rosalie Kido

Jean Kido

Yuri Haruki Laskowski

Christeen Oniki

Mark & Tomita Shimamoto

Craig & Ayano Tanisawa

Ted & Susan Tanisawa

Denise Yokomizo

Joyce Yokomizo

Clifford & Donna Yokomizo

Tom Yokomizo

Toshi & Alice Yokomizo

HO-ON SERVICE TEAM 9: (Responsible for August, 2016)Norman Yoshida (Leader)

Kevin Chang & Sara Kashima

Hiro & Janet Okawachi

Donna Castro

Robert & Tomoko Goh

Renie Grohl

Gerardo Medina &

Hiromi Yoshioka

Robert Ozawa

Brian & Kacia Sato

Kreyne & Laura Sato

Ronald & Frances Sato

Jeffrey & Pam Suda

Vicki Suda

Norman & Kathy Yoshida

Saburo Yoshida

Fusae Yoshida

JULY 20165

Congratulations Judy Sakaki! LIFELONG OAKLAND CHURCH

member, Dr. Judy Sakaki, will become

the fi rst Asian American and Buddhist

president of Sonoma State University

(SSU) this July.

In refl ecting on her long career in

academics, Judy acknowledges the

help, guidance, and encouragement

she has received from so many who

had confi dence in her. In a recent in-

terview, Judy thanked her grandpar-

ents and parents, who, like most of

the Issei and Nisei generation, over-

came so many hurdles and diffi culties

to make a good life for themselves

and their children.

Judy is the daughter of the

late Ted and Masako Sakaki, who

were devoted members of our

Oakland church and was the fi rst of

her family to attend college,

receiving her BA and MA degrees

from Cal State East Bay and then

a doctorate from UC Berkeley. Her

academic career included appoint-

ments at Cal State East Bay, Fresno

State, and UC Davis before accept-

ing a position at the University of

California headquarters and becom-

ing the ranking Japanese American in

the California education system.

Judy will join Cal State East Bay

President, Leroy Morishita, who is an

active Berkeley temple member, as

one of two BCA members who head

educational institutions in California.

When Judy comes home to our

Oakland temple, let’s offer her our

heartfelt congratulations and best

wishes! She’s earned respect and

honor so deserving of her accom-

plishments. All of our Oakland sangha

can be so proud of one of our own!

Congratulations to Judy, her family,

and all of her relatives on her a well-

deserved appointment!

AT THE PREVIOUS MEET, OUR

Sensei, Rev. Bridge, presented us

with an interesting talk, the subject

being Buddhist Art, which was of great

interest and new to us. He also

brought many books with beautiful

illustrations to show, which made the

presentation much more effective.

Thank you very much sensei for a

wonderful experience.

Our energetic Ms. Renie Grohl

has kept us all busy knitting vests for

ourselves so when the cold weather

comes around we will have something

to keep ourselves warm. As we age we

become more and more sensitive to

the cold. I realize summer hasn’t even

started but I suppose there is nothing

like being prepared. Right?

The Momiji Kai welcomes two

new members to our organization,

Mrs Mary Aochi from Hayward and

her daughter Janice Yamamoto from

Davis, who picks up her mom so

they can both attend our meets. We

are grateful to have you ladies join

us. Thank you, Janice, for bringing

your mom and yourself.

During our previous meet, we

had a guest, Ms. Diana Tsuchida,

who is gathering information

regarding the evacuation experiences

of many years ago and who had

interviewed several Momiji members

previously. She told us an

interesting story which occurred

during that period where a

gentleman industrialist from South-

ern California decided to start a farm

(vegetable) in a little town called

Kieley, Utah. Since he needed the

manpower, it seems he solicited

many, many families who opted to

join him on this venture and not

go into the camps like most of the

Japanese. We had never heard

of this town but we listened with

great interest.

It is hard to believe our

annual fund raising event has

arrived so soon, again. I am certain with

everyone’s efforts and hard work

we will be able to weather the

storm.

Momiji Kai News BY NANCY YAMAMOTO

JULY 20166

Jr. YBA News BY KELSEY HIROTA

WELCOME BACK TO THE JR. YBA

News! Thank you to everyone who

has been reading for all these months,

it’s been a pleasure! Summer is right

around the corner, and with that comes

all the stress of fi nals, graduation, etc.

Thank you for supporting us as we fi ght

through this home stretch of school!

With that, let’s get into the news.

Last month we had lots of fun

events. The Parent’s Day breakfast,

chaired by Sydney and her family, was

a great success. I know I talked about

it last month, but thank you again to

the Wong family and everyone who

came to cook, serve, or enjoy breakfast!

On Memorial Day weekend, we

fi nally played in the Bay District

Volleyball tournament at Alameda

Point. Although we did not win any

prizes, a great effort was put in by

both teams, and next year we hope

to polish our skills in order to defeat

those pesky Central Cal volleyball

connoisseurs. Thank you so much to

the parents who helped set up, clean

up, cook, and cheer for us. It could

not have been done without you all!

Another special thanks goes out to

Mr. Owoc, for without you we would

be completely lost on the courts.

On Saturday of that weekend, we

hosted the Saturday Night Social

at the church, complete with jungle

decor and spam musubis for all. All

the volleyball teams got to party it

up at the Buddhist Church of

Oakland, leaving us with a whole

bunch of mess to clean up. Thank

you so much to everyone who helped

cook, set up, and clean, we seriously

owe it all to the parents who are so

dedicated to the group. The whole

weekend would have been a disaster

had it not been for your hard work.

In June, we had our Graduation

service for the seniors, who all gave

their speeches and said goodbye

to those of us who are still fi nishing

high school. Congrats to Kiyomi

Nomura, Cameron Owoc, Abby Linger,

Sophie Arbelbide, and Mika Taga for

surviving and good luck in college

and beyond! Don’t forget about

us and make sure to visit! We will

miss you all! We would also like to

congratulate the incoming Class of

2020. Whether you decide to join YBA

or not, we would like to welcome you

all and we hope you will join our family.

Make sure you come see us at

the 2016 BCO Bazaar, on June 17-18!

By the time this article comes out,

I’m not sure if it will have passed or

not, but if not, we hope to see you

there! We will be running the shave

ice booth as always, so make sure to

come out and support us! Also at the

BCO Bazaar, we will be voting on next

year’s cabinet. Other summer events

include participating in a Bay District

community service event on June 25,

and a retreat at Angel’s Camp on the

weekend of August 9th. Thank you

to Ms. Taga, who was key in getting

the awesome timeshare location! We

look forward to the retreat!

It’s been a long year, but it’s been

fi lled with lots of fun. This is going

to be my last article for a while, as

summer (usually barren of events)

is coming along and a new cabinet

of YBA members will soon replace

the old.The 2015-16 school year will

be one to put in the books, with so

many memories that have taken

place this year. From fundraisers

to YBA outings to church events,

we’ve all gotten to know each other

a lot better, and we hope to continue

the legacy next year.

Buddhist Education News BY GAYLE NOGUCHI

CHECK IT OUT: The Heart of

the Buddha’s Teaching – Transforming

Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Libera-

tion by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Do you know what Buddhism is all

about? Even basic Buddhism can seem

complex and confusing if you really try

to understand it. In this introduction

to Buddhism book, Thich Nhat Hanh

offers a simple, yet substantial expla-

nation of fundamental Buddhist teach-

ings and concepts. Using everyday

language and ancient parables as well

as examples from daily life to illustrate

the teachings, it feels as though he is

sitting right across from you, speaking

directly to you.

The book is presented in four parts:

1) The Four Noble Truths, 2) The No-

ble Eightfold Path, 3) Other Buddhist

Teachings, and 4) Discourses. Each

chapter within these four sections is

only a few pages long making it easy

to learn a little bit at a time and gain

an understanding that makes sense of

what Buddhism is all about.

The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching

and other books are available to check

out from the BCO Library located

directly across from the hondo.

YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Buddhist Church of Oakland Youth Club is looking for East Bay children in grades kindergarten through high

school to join our teams for 2016-2017. We are non-competitive and open to all levels. Beginners are encouraged to apply. Weekly practices begin in October and games are from December to February.

Pictured: Girls D Silver Team (grades 5-6), 2015-2016

Registration will be open soon and rosters will be finalized by late summer. Please note that service/volunteer commitments are mandatory. Contact us today at: bcoyc.ad@gmail.com

Buddhist Church of Oakland, 825 Jackson St., Oakland CA 94607 (510)832-5988 www.buddhistchurchofoakland.org

JULY 20167

2016 July Shotsuki Memorial ServiceService: Sunday, July 10, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Sermon: Rev. Harry Gyokyo Bridge

Family and friends are invited to attend this monthly memorial service for those listed above. If any errors appear in the

above listing, please direct them to the church offi ce at (510) 832-5988 at your earliest convenience. For next month’s

Shotsuki Service, please see the Busshin Calendar.

Mr. Jun Ted Ajari

Mrs. Umeno Ajari

Mrs. Akiyoshi

Mr. Takamichi Akiyoshi

Mr. Carlton Doi

Mrs. Chieko Endo – 7th year

Miss Taeko Endo

Mr. Takao Fujii

Mrs. Yasuko Fujimori – 13th year

Rev. Hogen Fujimoto

Mr. Hideo Fukuya

Mr. Chogoro Harada

Mrs. Take Harada

Mrs. Kiyo Harano

Mr. Yoshinori Hatakeyama

Mrs. Konoye Hirota

Mr. Yoshito Hiyama

Mr. Brian Honda

Mrs. Ei Hori

Rev. Satoru Hori

Mrs. Kishiko Hoshide

Mr. Kwando Ikeda

Mr. Minai Ikeda – 50th year

Mrs. Tsukiko Ikeda

Mr. Chuichi Inouchi

Mr. Kensuke Inouye

Mr. Sadaichiro Isono

Mr. Katsumi Kaida

Mrs. Yasuko Kameyama

Ms. Aki Kanada – 17th year

Ms. Jean Kanesaki – 13th year

Mrs. Takeno Kanesaki

Mrs. Fusayo Kaneshige

Mrs. Sakae Rose Kaneshige

Mr. Toshio Kano

Mr. Kazuo Kato – 1st year

Mrs. Mitsuye Kato – 7th year

Mrs. Miyeko Kawabata

Mr. Glenn Kawamoto

Mrs. Tamae Kawata

Mrs. Masako Kayatani

Mr. Kiyoshi Kimura

Mr. Hakuichi Kinoshita

Mrs. Kimiko Kobori

Mrs. Shina Kobori

Mr. Kent Masao Koizumi

Mrs. Rose Kurotori

Mrs. Hina Maeda

Dr. Roger Matoi

Mr. Shigeru Matsuda

Mr. Chikara Matsui

Mr. Chosaburo Matsui

Mr. Minoru Matsumoto

Mr. Gisaburo Matsutani

Mr. Isamu Matsutani

Mrs. Yachiyo Matsutani

Mrs. Matsuko Minamidani

Mr. Arthur Misaki

Miss Kieko Mitsuda

Mr. Fred Miyamoto – 7th year

Mrs. Yaeno Mizuki

Mrs. Haruko Mizushina

Mr. Takichi Motomura

Mrs. Itsu Mukuno

Baby Muranishi

Mrs. Mitsuko Nagafuji

Mrs. Ima Nagai

Mrs. Maki Najima

Mr. Mokichi Nakagawa

Mrs. Grace Nakagiri – 3rd year

Mr. Wakichi Nakai

Mr. Tadashi Nakamura – 50th year

Mr. Frank Nakao – 13th year

Mr. Tsunetaro Nakaya

Mrs. Yoshi Natsuhara

Mrs. Tora Negi

Mr. Torao Neishi – 13th year

Mr. Leroy Nitta

Mr. Hiroshi Noda

Mr. Bob Shoichi Nomura

Mr. Morris Nomura

Mr. Hisakusu Ogawa

Mrs. Misao Ohara – 25th year

Mrs. Konoe Ota

Mrs. Hisae Okemoto

Mr. Kenji Makana Rossi – 13th year

Mr. Bill Sakakura – 7th year

Mrs. Fusa Sato

Mr. Genjiro Sato

Mr. Masao Sato

Mrs. Masako Shibata

Mrs. Mineko Shigematsu

Mr. Juhei Takata

Mr. Ken Takayama

Mr. Harunori Tamichi – 13th year

Mrs. Fuji Tamori

Mr. Shigeoki Tanaka

Mr. Chiyogi Tanisawa – 3rd year

Mr. Hisayoshi Tanizawa

Mr. Yone Terada

Mrs. Billie Takako Watahara

Dr. Hisao Wehara

Mr. Kakutaro Yamabe

Mr. Ichiro Yamamoto

Mrs. Katsuyo Yamamoto

Mrs. Miharu Yamamoto

Mrs. Misao Yamamoto

Mr. Shichirouemon Yamamoto

Mrs. Toyo Yamamoto

Mrs. Miyuki Yamasaki

Mrs. Shin Yasuda

Mrs. Michie Yokomizo

Mr. Mitsuo Yokomizo

Mr. Motoemon Yokomizo

Mr. Giichi Yoshioka

Mrs. Evelyn Yoshisato

Mr. George Yoshisato

JULY 20168

OBWA News BY LINDA TAKAGAKI

THE OBWA WOULD LIKE TO THANK

the following for their generous

donations:

• Jane Koizumi, Special Donation

• Grace Hara, Special Donation

We’d also like to thank:

• June Masuyama, Carol Thunen,

and Patti Hisaoka for planning

and organizing the lovely Spring

Luncheon; Janet Tsukahira for

coordinating the beautiful venue

of the Mira Vista Country

Club; Judy Kano for the

centerpieces; Joyce Yokomizo,

Patti Hisaoka, Carol Thunen

and Kathy Terusaki for the favors;

June Masuyama for arranging

the “entertainment”; Mary

Hiromoto for being our

entertaining MC; and to all who

lovingly adopted a bear.

• Patti Hisaoka and JoAnn

Hayashida for baking the

cupcakes for the Gotane

Fujimatsuri event with the

Dharma School students; Kathy

Terusaki for helping decorate

the cupcakes; and a special thank

you to the creative duo of

June and Mayumi Nomura for

creating the clever cupcake

decorations.

Th ank you Mits Nakayama! IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR,

Brian Nagata spoke at the Las Vegas

Hana Matsuri service and was hosted

by Oakland member Mits Nakayama,

who now lives in Las Vegas. Mits gave

Brian some copies of the Oakland

YBA’s “The Bodhi Leaf” newsletters

from the 1950’s, which, according to

Don Kaneshige, was the forerunner of

our current Oakland Church “Busshin”

newsletter. These historical treasures

are fi lled with news, memories and

pictures of the golden heydays of

Oakland YBA after World War II and

will be added to our temple archives

for future generations to learn about

the storied history of our Oakland

Sangha. Thanks Mits!!

Hatsumairi 2016

JULY 20169

Left to right: Mabel Minamoto, Tom Garten, Toshiro Garten

Minamoto, Rev. Bridge, Alina and Jared Nakashima, Camden

Nakashima

OBON LANTERN MEMORIAL TRIBUTE During our Obon Festival on August 6, 2016, please honor past members of your family through a Memorial Tribute tag to be hung from Obon Lanterns above the Odori area. (Previous tags are on file in the Church office, and will be re-hung with your donation.) Name on Tag: Donor Name:

Japanese only Japanese and English English only

Kanji for Family Member (Japanese)

Previous Memorial Tag (at Church office) $20 donation

New Memorial Tag to be created $35 donation

Contact information:

Address:

Telephone:

E-mail:

Please make checks to: Buddhist Church of Oakland; please note Obon Lantern Memorial Tag in the memo line

FORMS DUE BY MONDAY, JULY 18, 2016

JULY 201610

2016 Obon Volunteer Schedules

CONFIRMING AVAILABILITY In an effort to confi rm everyone’s avail-

ability, please contact your shift captain,

as soon as possible to confi rm your

availability or unavailability to work

the designated assignment; and, if un-

available at the scheduled time, please

suggest alternative times of availabil-

ity. The shift captain is identifi ed with a

“*” on each shift. You can also contact

Linda Minamoto. Your early notifi cation

will help us balance staffi ng throughout

the festival.

All shift captains are to proactively

contact each volunteer on your sched-

ule not yet heard from and confi rm

their availability. Please refer to the

church membership directory for con-

tact information. If you need contact

numbers for volunteers on your shift,

please contact the Church Offi ce at

510-832-5988.

When volunteers are unavailable,

please inform the Church Offi ce &

e-mail: Linda Minamoto

lminamoto@aol.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED If you have not been included on the

schedule and would like to volunteer,

we apologize for the oversight and

would be grateful for your assistance.

Please contact Jon or Robert directly

by e-mail (see above for e-mail ad-

dresses) or the church offi ce; there are

multiple areas where help is needed.

Thanks for volunteering!

BAKED GOODS Please bring your donations for

the pastry shop into the kitchen on

Saturday and Sunday. Please ensure a

list of ingredients is included with the

baked products and identify goods

that contain nuts and other common

allergens.

HEALTH REGULATIONS We will continue to insist on protocols

that promote adherence to current health

department regulations. Hair nets, or oth-

er forms of head covering (i.e. baseball

caps), and gloves are to be used by every-

one involved in food preparation. Hair nets

and gloves will be provided by the church.

Frequent hand-washing is required when

moving between food preparation and

other activities. Shift captains are re-

sponsible for ensuring that everyone is in

compliance.

WITH GRATITUDE

It is the combined efforts of everyone

that makes our annual Festival a suc-

cess and a fun event. A very special

thank you to everyone in advance!

Linda Minamoto

Obon Festival Chairperson

PLEASE HELP CLEAN-UP AT THE END

OF THE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY. ALL

BOOTHS MUST BE CLEARED AND THE

TABLES AND CHAIRS IN THE DINING

AREAS PUT AWAY.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 AND SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

DEADLINE FOR AUGUST 2016 BUSSHIN ARTICLES: JUNE 24th

Articles submitted after this

date may not be printed.

SEND ARTICLES TO: Joyce Yokomizo

email: joyce@yokomizo.com

or fax: (415) 970-0810.

You can also send articles to

the church offi ce.

BUSSHIN COLLATION:Sunday, July 10th, 2016

Host 8

JULY 201611

Food Preparation Friday and Saturday schedules are for all day. We will start from 7:00 am on Friday and Saturday and continue until

fi nished. Help is especially appreciated during each of the mornings so please come even if you are not assigned to a

specifi c shift. Thank you for helping at our annual fund-raiser!

Abrahamson, SusanAikawa, EtsukoAochi, MaryAoki, MargaretCastro, DonnaChung, LynnCronin, MasaeDougherty, LeslieEastly, StacyEndo, KathyFujii, ToyokoFujimoto, GloriaFujimoto, KayokoFukawa, HarukoFuruta, SetsukoGrohl, ReneeHamamoto, JunHara, GraceHarada, GraceHashimoto, KarenHayashida, JoAnneHiramoto, DanaHiramoto, JoniHiramoto, RubyHiromoto, MaryHisaoka, PattiHisaoka, TriciaHorii, Thea

Ichikawa, NinaInada, GayleIsono, GailIsono, LizIsono, TerriIsono, TomiKaneshige, ClareKano, JudyKanzaki, MiharuKawabata, JoanKawabata, YoKawata, JeanKido, RosalieKido, TeriKleven, MayKoizumi, JaneKuramoto, MichiKuritsubo, RubyLaBerge, MichiyoLawrence, MayaLaskowski, YuriMakishima, JoanneMasuyama, JuneMatsui, ElaineMcGhee, MaryMedeiros, TinaMinamoto, LindaMinamoto, Mabel

Mitsuda, HatsukoMiyamoto-Mills, JanisMiyasaki, CathyMori, HelenMorimoto, MargeMorimoto, SallyMurakawa-Jan, KatsuyoNagafuji, KathyNaito, NamieNakamura, LindaNakamura, SachieNakaso, LynnNakatani, NancyNakazono, JeanNasu-Best, KimNegoro, DoraNeishi, AliceNeishi, CarolNeishi-Wong, LoriNeishi, LynneNeishi, MelanieNishimura, ValerieNoguchi, GayleNomura, JoanNomura, JuneOkano, DorisOkano, SusanOrans, Meta

Oto-Worrell, CarrieOtsuka, LorraineOtsuka, MaryOtsuka, ValerieOwoc, KarenRyujin, Gail TaniwaSakaki, JudySamii, ReneSanbongi, KatieSasaki, AgnesSasaki, KimikoSato, LauraSeiki, SandraShepard, SabrinaShibata, AliceShibata, TeruShigemoto, MiyoShimamoto, TomitaShimamura, SachikoShohara, SumiSmith, ValerieSuda, ChristinaSuda, PamSuda, Vicki FukumaeTakagaki, LindaTakata, MineTakayama, EllenTaniguchi, Marie

Tanisawa, SusanTaniwa-Wong, JanieTerusaki, KathleenThunen, CarolTominaga, AnneToyofuku, SusanToyofuku, YurikaTsujimoto, DaisyTsujimoto-Cho, GailTsujimoto-Wong, LianneTsukahira, JanetUota, ItsukoUshijima, YoshikoUtsurogi, LouiseYamamoto, NancyYamaoka, ShigekoYanagi, DorothyYokomizo, AliceYokomizo, DeniseYokomizo, DonnaYokomizo, JoyceYokomizo-Nabonne, NancyYoneyama, MollieYoshida, FusaeYoshisato-Cavey, Janis

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 & SATURDAY, AUGUST 6

Patti Hisaoka* Kathy Terusaki*

FRIDAY AUGUST 5, 2016

EVENING

Chicken Preparation(7pm - Finish)

EVENING

Social Hall Decor(7pm - 9pm)

Ed Minamoto* Li, Phil

Medina, Jerry

Medeiros, Rocky

Minamoto, Ed

Minamoto, John

Terada, Keiju

Tominaga, Gary

YOUTH CLUB

PARENTS

VOLUNTEERS

WELCOME

Otsuka, Tak

Otsuka, Valerie

Jr. YBA Members

Egg Preparation(7am - Finish)

Carol Thunen*Hashimoto, Karen

Minamoto, Linda

Nakazono, Jean

Thunen, Carol*

Kitchen Help(7am - Finish)

Kathy Terusaki*Ozawa, Robert

Lawrence, Gary

JULY 201612

SATURDAYAUGUST 62016

Rice/Udon Cooks/

Set-up

Kathy Terusaki*

5am - FinishBridge, Mika

Hisaoka, Patti

Nishimura, Valerie

Terusaki, Kathy

5am - 8amBridge, Rev. Harry

Kamita, George

Terusaki, Steve

8am - 12 NoonYamaoka, Rev. Seigen

Chang, Kevin

Nakaso, Peter

Rice Coolers(5am - Finish)

Inada, Rick

Kitchen Help/

Dishwashing(6am - 10am)

Jon Takagaki* Noguchi, Paul

Noguchi, Robert

Negoro, George

Ohagi Preparation(7am - 11am)

Pam Suda* Kleven, May

Nakamura, Sachie

Nakazono, Jean

Suda, Christina

Suda, Pam

Street Closing(7am - 8:30am)

John Minamoto*Katayama, Dennis

Minamoto, John

Sasaki, Rik

Chicken BBQ Cooks(8am - Finish)

Ed Minamoto* Ikeda, Eric

Kaneshige, Don

Lee, Roger

Li, Phil

Medeiros, Rocky

Minamoto, Ed

Nakaya, Victor

Neishi, Chris

Suko, Greg

Valparaiso, Jack

Wilson, Alex

Yokoyama, Ed

Chicken Bento/

Snack Bar Prep (9am - Noon)

Michael Endo*Endo, Clifford

Endo, Kay

Endo, Lillian

Endo, Michael

Endo, Sets

Makishima, Joanne

Nagata, Brian

Kitchen Help/

Dishwashing(10am - Closing)

Staffed by Youth Club Per

Youth Club Schedule

Constuction:

Booths, Yagura(9am - Noon)

Cliff Yokomizo*Al Kanzaki*Asazawa, Paul

Bergland, Harry

Best, Jose

Chin, Gene

Chung, Steve

Fujii, Roy

Hirota, David

Horii, Brian

Iriki, Jamie

Izuno, Doug

Kamita, George

Katayama, Dennis

Kawaguchi, Scott

Lawrence, Gary

Medina, Jerry

Minamoto, John

Morimoto, Aki

Nakamura, Dennis

Nakaso, Peter

Neishi, John

Neishi, Ken

Nishimura, Keith

Nomura, Ron

Oto, Steven

Suda, Jeff

Takemoto, Mark

Terada, Keiju

Toyofuku, Donald

Yokomizo, Tom

Yokoyama, Ed

Yoshida, Norman

Youth Club Members

Table Bussing/Clean-up(4pm - Closing)

Staffed by Youth Club Per

Youth Club Schedule

Signage(Noon - 2pm)

Dick Sasaki*Yokomizo, Joyce

Medina, Jerry

Nomura, Ron

Ozawa, Robert

Finance(1pm - Finish)

Norm Abrahamson*

Abrahamson, Norm

Bergland, Harry

Lawrence, Gary

Dinner

Ticket Booth

Jared Miyamoto-Mills* Scott Morgan*

2:30pm - 5pm Miyamoto-Mills, Jared*

Takagaki, Linda

5pm - Closing Aisawa, Ken

Morgan, Scott

Snack Bar BBQ Chefs

Ed Minamoto*John Neishi*

2:30pm - 5pm Endo, Clifford

Kuramoto, Randall

Minamoto, Ed*

Nomura, Ron

Tanisawa, Craig

5pm - Closing Endo, Don

Kaneshige, Jay

Miyamura, Kurt

Nakamura, Dennis

Neishi, John*

Tsuboi, Tom

JULY 201613

Snack Bar - Drinks,

Hamburgers, Corn

Lillian Endo* (c/o Michael Endo)Keiju Terada*

2:30pm - 5pm Endo, Jessica

Endo, Kaitlin

Endo, Kelsey

Endo, Lillian*

Makishima, Joanne

Neishi, Lynne

Shigemoto, Lisa

5pm - ClosingNegoro, Nicholas

Terada, Keiju*

Terusaki, Alan

Tsukahira, Janet

Tsukahira, Jerry

Snack Bar -

Chicken Dinners

Vicki Fukumae Suda*Mark Shimamoto

2:30pm - 5pm Suda, Vicki Fukumae*

Suda, Christina

Utsurogi, Louise

5pm - ClosingKido, Rob

Owoc, Rich

Shimamoto, Mark*

Snack Bar -

Steak Dinners

George Negoro*Brian Nagata*

2:30pm - 5pm Chang, Kevin

Horii, Brian

Isono, Richard

Negoro, George*

Tominaga, Anne

5pm - ClosingChung, Steve

Nagafuji, Aki

Nagata, Brian*

Owoc, Karen

Suda, Pam

Udon

Donna Yokomizo*Susan Tanisawa

2:30pm - 5:30pm Inada, Gayle

Ryujin, Gail Taniwa

Yokomizo, Deni

Yokomizo, Donna*

5:30pm - ClosingMorimoto, Marge

Murakawa-Jan, Katsuyo

Neishi, Melanie

Tanisawa, Susan*

Curry

Judy Kano*Linda Takagaki

2:30pm - 5:30pm Kaneshige, Clare

Kano, Judy*

Owoc, Karen

Yokomizo, Joyce

5:30pm - ClosingFujimoto, Gloria

Masuyama, June

Matsui, Elaine

Takagaki, Linda*

Snack Bar -

Rice Cooks

Kathy Terusaki*

2:30pm - 5:30pm Hisaoka, Jeffrey

5:30pm - ClosingTerusaki, Kathy

Sushi

Doris Okano*Maya Lawrence*

2:30pm - 5:30pm Neishi, Carol

Yokomizo-Nabonne, Nancy

Okano, Doris*

Shohara, Sumi

Uota, Itsuko

5:30pm - ClosingHiramoto, Dana

Kanzaki, Miharu

Kleven, May

Lawrence, Maya*

PASTRY SHOP

Yurika Toyofuku*Gayle Noguchi*

2:30pm - 5:30pm Abrahamson, Susan

Miyamoto-Mills, Janis

Toyofuku, Yurika*

5:30pm - ClosingNoguchi, Gayle*

Tominaga, Anne

Refreshments for

Obon Dancers

Eddie & Terry Yokoyama*

7pm - ClosingTsujimoto, Daisy

Shimamoto, Tomita

Yokoyama, Eddie*

Yokoyama, Terry

DE-CONSTRUCTION/

CLEAN-UP (8pm until fi nished)

Cliff Yokomizo*Al Kanzaki*Abrahamson, Norm

Aisawa, Ken

Baker, Peter

Chung, Steve

Chung, Derrick

Endo, Don

Endo, Michael

Hirota, David

Hollins, Lyman

Inada, Evan

Inada, Rick

Ikeda, Eric

Kanzaki, Al

Katayama, Dennis

Kuga, Roy

Masamori, Eric

Mitsuda, Ken

Minamoto, John

Nakamura, Greg

Nakaso, Peter

Negoro, Chris

Negoro, Nick

Neishi, Chris

Pendro, Ray

Orans, Kai

Orans, Ren

Owoc, Garrett

Owoc, Rich

Sasaki, Rik

Shepard, Ed

Shepard, Justin

Shigemoto, Bob

Shimamoto, Mark

Suda, Curtis

Suko, Greg

Takagaki, Jon

Tellez, Alex

Terada, Keiju

Terusaki, Alan

Terusaki, Steve

Tominaga, Gary

Yamashita, George

Yokomizo, Clifford*

Yokomizo, Tom

YOUTH CLUB MEMBERS

JR. YBA MEMBERS

SATURDAYAUGUST 62016

JULY 201614

SAVE THE DATE: July 17th

LOCATION: Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area 6531 San Pablo Dam Road El SobranteTIME: 11am to 3pmA BIG “THANK YOU” FROM THE BUDDHIST CHURCH OF OAKLND - TO ITS MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AND ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS (DHARMA SCHOOL, JR. YBA, GAKUEN, MOMIJI KAI, OBWA, AND YOUTH CLUB) FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT.JOIN US FOR DELICIOUS HAMBUGERS, HOT DOGS, SALAD, FRESH FRUIT, DRINKS, GAMES, AND PRIZES FOR ALL AGES.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING, SO THAT WE CAN PLAN FOR SUPPLIES AND GAMES. PLEASE REPOND BY JULY 17TH. PLEASE DROP OFF AT THE OFFICE OR CONTACT DORIS OKANO at officebco@gmail.com

NAME _____________________________________________

ADULTS__________________

CHILDREN________________

(AGES: ____, ____, ____, ____, ____)

We are having a picnic!

JULY 201615

Host 8 Team Leader: Joyce Yokomizo Coverage for July support tasks including:

Hondo cleaning; Plan picnic, gather materials and clean-up; 1st Sunday only Shotsuki service greeters; After-Shotsuki service tea & refreshments; Weekend garden clean-up; Busshin collation

1

2

3 No Service

4 Holiday - Office Closed

5

6 Board of Directors Meeting, Small Chapel, 7:00 pm

7 Momijikai, Small Chapel, 10 am-2:00 pm

8

9 Ikebana Issei Kaikan 2-4 pm

10 Shotsuki Memorial/ Adult Dharma Service 10:00-11:00 am Busshin Collation

11 Wanto Shodo Kai Issei Kaikan, 10 am-12 Noon

12

13

14 Nikkoland Wrap-up / Obon Planning Meeting, Small Chapel, 7:00-8:30 pm

15

16

17 BCO Picnic-Kennedy Grove, El Sobrante 11:00 am-3:00 pm

18 Obon Practice, Social Hall, 7:30-9:00 pm

19 Oakland Fukuoka Sister City Association General Meeting Issei Kaikan, 7:00-9:00 pm

20 BCO Calendar Meeting, Location: TBD, 6:30-8:30 pm Obon Practice, Social Hall, 7:30-9:00 pm

21 Momijikai, Small Chapel 10:00 am-2:00 pm

22

23

24 No Service

25 Wanto Shodo Kai Issei Kaikan, 10 am-12 Noon

26 Busshin Articles Due Concord Obon Service 7:30-9:00 pm Obon Practice, Social Hall, 7:30-9:00 pm

27 Asian Health Services Monthly Meeting Social Hall, 9:00 am-12:00 pm

28 Obon Practice Social Hall, 7:30-9:00 pm

29

30

31 No Service Temple Clean-up (Hondo Cleaning), 10:00-11:30 am

JULY 2016

JULY 201616

1 Obon Practice, Social Hall, 7:30-9:00 pm

2 3 Obon Practice, Social Hall, 7:30-9:00 pm

4 No Momijikai

Obon Practice, Social Hall, 7:30-9:00 pm

5 Obon Food Prep. Social Hall/Main Kitchen 7:00 am Ikebana Prep Small Chapel 3:00 – 8:00 pm

6 Obon Food Prep, 5:00 am-3:00 pm Obon Construction, 8:00 am-12:00 pm Obon Festival and Food Bazaar, 3:00-7:30 pm Obon Odori, 7:30-9:00 pm

7 Hatsubon Service, 9:30-10:30 am Obon Service, 10:30-11:30 am HOST 9 Luncheon 11:30 am-12:30 pm

8 Wanto Shodo Kai Issei Kaikan, 10 am-12 Noon

9

10

11 12

13

14 Shotsuki Memorial/ Adult Dharma Service 10:00-11:00 am HOST 9 Busshin Collation

15

16 Oakland Fukuoka Sister City Association General Meeting Issei Kaikan, 7:00-9:00 pm

17

18 Momijikai Small Chapel 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Business Committee Meeting, Small Chapel 7:00-9:00 pm

19

20

21 No Service

22 Wanto Shodo Kai Issei Kaikan, 10 am-12 Noon

23

24

25 26 Busshin Articles Due

27

28 No Service

29

30 Youth Club Board Meeting Issei Kaikan, 7:00-9:00 pm

31 Asian Health Services Monthly Meeting Social Hall, 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Host 9 Team Leader: Norman Yoshida Coverage for August support tasks including:

Obon & Shotsuki Sunday service greeters; After-Shotsuki service tea & refreshments; Obon Service luncheon and clean-up; Weekend garden clean-up; Busshin collation

AUGUST 2016

JULY 201617