August 2019
By Professor Shoshi Annaka, Rissho University
It was December, 2014 when our team began to research the treasures in the Nichiren Sect Mission of Hawaii. Since then, we visited the Betsuin and found many old but precious articles such as the statues, gohonzons and pictures that were not preserved well and damaged. They were not in good condition at all.
Rev. Gyoun Takagi started propagation in October, 1899. There were many questions about how he did it. We had understood only a few things about him. We found a diary dated April, 1912 when he moved to Honolulu. It was a diary written by ministers after he moved to Honolulu. It has been kept at the Betsuin since.
This diary was one of the most important documents to understand the history of the mission. On the first page, its title was the “Reason for Establishing a Temporary Propagation Home.” It explained in detail how he moved to Honolulu. The third page was dated April 2, 1912 and followed thereafter. The cover page was made of leather but was removed. However, it was not in too bad of condition - like pages coming off. A few data were written on paper that were inserted into the diary. These inserted pages are also important to know the history of this mission; therefore, we need to keep them properly in a special box.
Many Gohonzons were kept in the Betsuin. A few of them were mounted and framed, but most of them were kept in the open and with stains on the paper or cloth, torn, bended, or worm-eaten.
The most valuable Mandala-Gohonzon is the one that Abbot Niccho Ichikawa, the eightieth Abbot of the Minobusan Kuon-ji Temple wrote for the Nichiren Sect Mission of Hawaii dated May, 1924. We can see that it was created for the Betsuin and praying for member’s harmony, increasing their faith and materialization of their prayers. Another Gohonzon was also created by the 83rd Abbot of Minobusan Kuon-ji Temple, Nichiken Mochizuki. It was written for the Myo-ho-ko-fu Kai that was organized by Nichiren Shu members in Hawaii. The Myo-ho-ko-fu Kai means the Association to propagate the wonderful law.
Two other Manadala-Gohonzon were probably written to the members who used to live in Japan and came to Hawaii. One of them was written by the 70th Abbot Nissho of Minobusan Kuon-ji Temple in June, 1868; while the other was written by the 73rd Abbot Nissatsu Arai of Minobusan Kuon-ji Temple in July, 1885. Nissatsu Arai was the First Kancho of Nichiren Shu Icchiha. Other Gohonzons kept in the Betsuin were written by the head priests of Major Nichiren Temples and also by the head minister of the Betsuin.
In Japan, the Mandala-Gohonzon are kept in hanging scroll form. In Hawaii, it seems popular to keep it framed due to circumstances. However, the framed Gohonzo was originally the hanging scroll style. By changing the style from scrolled to the framed, runs the risk of damage from ultraviolet rays and moisture. So I suggest that these framed gohonzons should be changed to scroll style and kept in a special box in the appropriate environment if possible.
Through our four research visits in the past years, some of them hardly kept its original form because of damage from bugs, stains on the material of the Gohonzon and other reasons. Thus, I repeat - to do restoration works is to properly handle these precious treasures.
Currently, we tried not to advance the damage on these valuable treasures. It is just a temporary fix and not satisfactory. Thus, I wish to continue my research in order to preserve these precious treasures; to carry on to the next generation through suitable restoration works.