Hanamatsuri Celebration

Rev. Kerry Kiyohara and Rev. Natsumi Takada

Joining us on April 12, 2026,  as our guest speaker was Rev. Natsumi Takada of Japan who was a classmate of our Rev. Kerry Kiyohara at Chuo Bukkyo Gakuin Seminary in Kyoto during 2017-18.  Rev. Takada spoke in English describing her life growing up on Hokkaido as the daughter of a temple family, through her graduation from seminary at age 19, and her transition into a career teaching special needs children.  We received her Dharma message entitled "Celebrating the Buddha's Birthday: A Message of Nembutsu" with gratitude. 

Our hanamido, or flower pavilion, was decorated with many colorful local flowers to represent the beauty of Lumbini Garden where the baby Buddha was born.  From keiki to kupuna, we took turns bathing the baby with sweet tea.

As has become our tradition, we also enjoyed a screening of the vintage video the “Birth of the Buddha” starring our Dharma School class of 2022 which was filmed by Sean Higuchi. 

Rev. Kerry Kiyohara and Rev. Natsumi Takada

Bathing Baby Buddha

Tyrus

Floyd

Robert and Iwa

Joann and Alison

Diane K. and Nobu

Mieko

Carol and Bobbi

and Karen

Mitch

Diane N.

Nalani

Julie, Marilyn, Pam

Rev. Kerry and Barkley

Vintage Video from 2022

Driver's License Anyone??

Rev. Natsumi Takada Speaker

Rev. Takada

Kanmoku-ge

Kanmoku-ge from paper

Kanmoku-ge from ipad

Rev. Kerry, Rev. Takada, and Mimy Kiyohara