Rev. Masanari Yamagishi, assigned to Hawaii Betsuin April-July, 2020.

Hawaii Betsuin has a new associate minister! Reverend Masanari Yamagishi, most recently the resident minister of Buddhist Church of Lodi in California, has just begun a several-month assignment at Hawaii Betsuin. Despite the unusual challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, Rev. Yamagishi reports he is doing well and has been reading and studying a lot.

Yamagishi-sensei’s onboarding program with Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii (HHMH) began with two months at headquarters. During February and March 2020, he visited many temples on Oahu, attended services, participated in workshops, and joined committee and board meetings — including the 108th HHMH Legislative Assembly. Rev. Yamagishi also visited Pacific Buddhist Academy and gave a dharma talk at one of the school’s Friday services.

Reverend Yamagishi’s home town is Takaoka, Japan, a coastal city of Toyama Prefecture on Honshu Island. He is the third son in a temple family (no sisters), and his eldest brother now serves as head minister of the home temple. “Yamagishi” literally means mountain seashore — fitting for Takaoka and Hawaii both, where mountains meet the sea!

After receiving Tokudo ordination at age 18, Rev. Yamagishi enrolled in Ryukoku University, graduating in 2001. For a time after graduation, he worked in Japan at a company that provides benefits for public school teachers. He then joined Hongwanji’s International Ministers Orientation Program (IMOP), a three-month program based in Berkeley, CA at the Jodo Shinshu Center. Yamagishi-sensei’s assignment to Buddhist Church of Lodi as resident minister began in 2018. His responsibilities also included supervising Walnut Grove Buddhist Church.

Rev. Yamagishi’s studies and assignments in the U.S. allowed some time for travel. He cites three trips as particularly memorable: Yosemite National Park, New York City, and the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon visit was in connection with the Buddhist Churches of America 2019 National Council Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.

When asked about his hobbies, Yamagishi-sensei said “I love watching horse racing,” noting that he also likes riding horses and would like to ride in Hawaii. His other interests include snorkeling, reading books, and watching movies.

As a Shin minister in Hawaii, Rev. Yamagishi hopes to communicate well with many members, considering it “one of the most important responsibilities as a minister.” He would like to give the best dharma talks he can.

If you would like to reach out to Rev. Yamagishi, he would welcome your communication. He may be reached by email at myamagishi@honpahi.org. Maybe you can recommend a place to ride horses on Oahu when the stay-at-home period ends. Or, maybe you would like to trade recommendations for ramen places, discuss a dharma topic, or simply welcome him to our temple sangha.

Welcome, Yamagishi-sensei. May we all stay healthy through this period of suspended activities. See you in person on the other side!

Submitted by David Atcheson, Hawaii Betsuin board member and web volunteer

(Since initial publication, corrections have been made for the duration of IMOP and the identification of the IMOP host institution.)