Sep 22

WIT Life #251: Honolulu’s Byodo-in

Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #251: Honolulu’s Byodo-in

WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03).  She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

Every time I come to Honolulu I try to find a new place to explore that I haven’t tried before, and during this trip my discovery was the Byodo-in Temple in Kaheohe.  This is the city where my local JET friend lives, who said it was a must see.  For me this was a particularly special spot, as the temple is a replica of the original Byodo-in in Kyoto Prefecture’s Uji-shi, where I first lived in Japan as an exchange student.  The Hawaiian version did not disappoint, as it is located at the foot of the 2,000 foot tall Koʻolau Mountains which provide breathtaking background scenery.

Honolulu’s Byodo-In was built in the 1960’s to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii, who came to work in the sugar plantation fields.  In consultation with Hawaiian religious representatives, the developer of the park chose to reproduce Byodo-in because of its beauty and cultural significance.  It is half the size of the original temple, which was constructed in 998.  Fun fact is that this Byodo-in became more popular after the TV series Lost, as it served as the home of the Korean woman Sun’s powerful father in an early episode.

To get to Byodo-in, you must take a short, winding drive up through the Valley of the Temples.  Reflective of Hawaii’s heritage, this memorial park houses various temples for respective religions and it serves as a cemetery where people of different faiths are buried side by side.  Valley of the Temples is available as a final resting place to anyone who can afford it, and the guide told me that they are in the process of expanding areas for new plots.  When I looked at the names on the gravestones, as expected there were many Nikkeijin.  This is a non-typical tourist spot that is definitely worth a visit!