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==The First Temples==

==The First Temples==

The first Japanese Buddhist temple to be established in the islands was a [[Pure Land]] Buddhist temple built by [[Okabe Gakuo]] at Hamakua on the Big Island of Hawaii in [[1894]]. Three years later, in response to requests from the Japanese community in Hawaii, Miyamoto Keijun came to the islands as a representative of the Jôdo Shinshû sect, to determine the possibility, or necessity, of establishing a formal branch temple. Finding that the community's religious needs were being served chiefly by a number of unofficial, self-appointed "priests," who Miyamoto identified as unscrupulous fraudsters, the [[Hongan-ji]] arranged for the establishment of a formal branch temple, and dispatched Satomi Hôni as the first official priest to head it.

The first Japanese Buddhist temple to be established in the islands was a [[Pure Land]] Buddhist temple built by [[Okabe Gakuo]] at Hamakua on the Big Island of Hawaii in [[1894]]. Three years later, in response to requests from the Japanese community in Hawaii, Miyamoto Keijun came to the islands as a representative of the Jôdo Shinshû sect, to determine the possibility, or necessity, of establishing a formal branch temple. Finding that the community's religious needs were being served chiefly by a number of unofficial, self-appointed "priests," who Miyamoto identified as unscrupulous fraudsters, the [[Hongan-ji]] arranged for the establishment of a formal branch temple, and dispatched Satomi Hôni as the first official priest to head it. That first temple, the [[Honpa Hongwanji Mission]],<ref>Most if not all Hongan-ji branch temples in Hawaii retain the spelling Hongwanji, reflecting the [[historical kana]] usage of sounds such as 'gwa', deprecated following World War II.</ref> established in 1898, still stands and operates today.

Much of the Japanese community in Hawaii came from the southern/western parts of Japan, where Jôdo Shinshû was particularly strong. So, most of these people were Jôdo Shinshû adherents already, and did not need to be converted, or missionized to. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that Buddhist temples in Japan are never called "missions," this first Buddhist temple and most of those which came after it, came to be called "missions," perhaps in emulation of the strong Christian missionary community present in Hawaii since the 1820s. Many Buddhist temples in Hawaii today continue to be called "missions," even though Buddhists as a whole generally do not engage in proselytization or missionary efforts, and even though their congregations are well-established. [[Imamura Emyo|Imamura Emyô]], also known as Imamura Yemyo,<!--今村恵猛--> came to aid Satomi in [[1899]], and took over leadership of the temple the following year.

Much of the Japanese community in Hawaii came from the southern/western parts of Japan, where Jôdo Shinshû was particularly strong. So, most of these people were Jôdo Shinshû adherents already, and did not need to be converted, or missionized to. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that Buddhist temples in Japan are never called "missions," this first Buddhist temple and most of those which came after it, came to be called "missions," perhaps in emulation of the strong Christian missionary community present in Hawaii since the 1820s. Many Buddhist temples in Hawaii today continue to be called "missions," even though Buddhists as a whole generally do not engage in proselytization or missionary efforts, and even though their congregations are well-established. [[Imamura Emyo|Imamura Emyô]], also known as Imamura Yemyo,<!--今村恵猛--> came to aid Satomi in [[1899]], and took over leadership of the temple the following year.