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    Shingon Shu Hawaii

    4.7 (7 reviews)

    Shingon Shu Hawaii Photos

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    Taizokai Mandala
    Val Y.

    I've passed this temple for years but never went in. But after finishing my large Fillet of Fish Extra Value Meal at the neighboring McDonald's today, decided to sneak over to investigate this striking architectural building with the neat sculptures that guard it's entrance. Took some pictures and did some research and leave this review for your cultural enlightenment. Useful Information: 1. The building is called the Shingon Shu Hawaii or Hawaii Shingon Mission. It is a temple of the Shingon (True Word) Buddhist Sect. 2. Shingon Buddhism was founded by Kukai (774-835 A.D.), Japanese monk, scholar, poet and artist. He was bestowed the posthumous honorific title Kobo Daishi, "Great Master of the Propagated Teaching" by the Emperor Daigo in 919 A.D.. Notable quote attributed to Kobo Daishi: "To be enlightened is simply to understand fully the true nature of your own mind. Understanding fully the true nature of your own mind is equal to understanding everything." 3. The Shingon Shu was first built in 1917-1918 by Nakagawa Katsutaro, a master builder of Japanese-style temples, then renovated in 1929 by architect Hego Fuchino; a self-taught man who was the first person of Japanese ancestry to become a licensed architect in Hawaii. 4. The building has undergone two major renovations. However, the distinctive features of the building: the steep, hip-gable roof (irimoya) with rounded-gable projection with elaborate carvings on the ends, and the glittering altar and interior furnishings from Japan that signify its ties to esoteric Shingon Buddhism, were restored or preserved during these renovations. Cool Information: 1. The temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 2002. 2. The Shingon Shu Hawaii members commissioned the creation of a ceiling with panels (tenjo-e) that depicts the Taizokai mandala. The Taizokai mandala measures 600 square feet. The artwork is done in original pigments mixed by Japanese artisans and suspended in animal fat, the pigments were applied to individually lacquered (urushi) panels, then placed by hand into a grid suspended from the ceiling. 3. Carved wooden statues of Fujin (Wind God) and Raijin (Thunder God) were placed to guard the entrance, after the completion of the second temple renovation in 2007. The statues were chosen to depict Hawaii's prevailing tradewinds with Fujin; and an appreciation for the power and the force of nature in Raijin. This is really cool: Each statue stand over ten feet in height, and each weigh over 2800 pounds. The statues are constructed and carved out of Japanese Cypress. They are the largest depictions of the Wind and Thunder Gods outside of Japan. 4. The round tomoe at the top of the entrance roof represents the cycle of life and is the traditional symbol of the Koyasan Shingon sect. 5. The carved phoenix represents death and rebirth. 6. The carved dragons represent both power and good fortune. 7. The obelisk at the front edge of the property commemorates the first Shingon pilgrimage to Japan by immigrants in Hawaii in 1929. Funny Information: Uhhh! ....For this review I did not find anything funny to write about. Sorry! P.S. There is a big difference looking at Fujin and Raijin from your car driving on Sheridan and standing at their base and looking straight up into their eyes. You can feel the power of these Gods when standing beneath them. Try it before Hawaii's formosan subterranean termites get to them and reduce their weight to 280 pounds!

    Fujin statue (God of Wind)

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    Photo of Val Y.
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    11 years ago

    Felt great even being there for less than 5min. God bless grandma and my little cousin.

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    Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple

    Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple

    4.8(63 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    This beautiful Korean temple is a hidden gem of Honolulu, Hawaii. Tucked away into the mountainside…read moreof Palolo, a residential neighborhood, this temple is one of the largest Korean temples outside of Korea. There is a suggested donation and no photos inside the temple. My sister recommended this place and the views are absolutely spectacular and tranquil. Parking can be a bit steep when driving up, but there's plenty of parking spots. Highly recommend!

    Cyndy's Bottom Line: Peace & tranquility…read more *Visitor Hours: 9-5pm daily *Admission by Donation: General $3.00, Seniors(60+) $2.00, Children $1.00, groups of 5 or more reservation in advance *Visitor parking lot on the premise has approximately 12 stalls or street parking within the neighborhood. *Be careful and drive slowly upon exiting the parking lot because of the steep driveway which may hit or damage the front end of your car. *There are activities held at the temple for the community- Korean service every Sunday 10:00-12noon. Insight or Vipassana meditation, Korean Dance and Drum, Korean Language (Reading and Writing), Painting, Yoga and Korean Tea Ceremony. *Website for more info - muryangsatemple.com e-mail: muryangsatemple@gmail.com Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple is nestled deep in the lush, tranquil Palolo Valley for over 40 years and is the largest Korean Temple outside of Korea. The name of the temple means "Broken Ridge Temple.". What appears to be a flaw in the construction the roof was lowered because it exceeded the height limitation of the City & County. The temple is magnificent despite the roof's lower height. The grounds are beautiful and abundant with plants especially the variety of mango trees and coconut trees throughout the property. There are statues such as the Statue of Miruk Boddhisatava. There are lotus buds and lovely lotus flowers in bloom and pots of water lilies too. Water is saved in plastic containers and drums. The most interesting sight is the pots of aged miso and shoyu on the roof top below the temple. Highly recommmend a visit to capture the tranquility and beauty of the temple and Palolo Valley.

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    Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple
    Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple
    Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple

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    Koganji Temple - Sunset Dancing

    Koganji Temple

    4.3(21 reviews)
    2.0 miManoa

    The Koganji Temple Bon Dance is a massive two day event held annually on Koganji Temple's 1.7 acre…read moreManoa property. The dance itself is held in the center of the property with food tents setup around the perimeter and the bake sale indoors in one of the nearby buildings. This event and location are huge. Kind of amazing that such a big property can hide so well in Manoa, must be the hiding in those Manoa rains. Koganji has so many food options! Hamburgers, corn, kimono dogs (andagi corndogs), kimono puppies, andagi in multiple forms, fried yakisoba, beef katsu donburi, spam musubi, the list of food goes on and on and on in addition to a large bake sale selling everything from cookies to jam. Sales are script base and prices are somewhat higher than other bon dances. My sister and I shared the fried yakisoba noodle, a hamburger, andagi, and katsu beef donburi. The noodles weren't anything special, but the burger was perfectly cooked with a crispy piece of fresh lettuce, which is a nice change for a bon dance burger. The andagi was crispy and tasty, but one wasn't exactly andagi shaped, but that's okay. (You should see some of the shapes that come out of Punahou's carnival malasada booth, aka NSFW, so these are excused). The Katsu beef donburi was surprisingly good. I went for it because I've never seen it at bon dance and to be honest, I'm getting bored with bon dance food. The fried and battered beef was tender and tasty, with pickled cabbage, corn and a seemingly vegetarian Japanese version of a Gau Gee. We spent about $20 with bottled water. Unlike other bon dances, lots of chairs and benches are provided, both indoors in the bake sale area and surrounding the bon dance itself. Unfortunately, many of them are wet, because, well it's Manoa. Suck it up buttercup, if you wanted dry, you would have gone to the Waialua Hongwanji Bon Dance. The number of dancers seemed fewer than other dances, but that might be due to the limited dancing area. I do enjoy how the lanterns are all sorts of colors, giving the dance an almost carnival like feel. Parking is a mess as there's virtually no parking on site, forcing people to brave the cold and unforgiving mean streets of Manoa for parking. Oh wait, I'm talking about Manoa, so replace all of those adjectives with "wet." Lots of people end up parking at the public Manoa Park and making the short walk over. My sister and I were amazed there were so many people with such bad parking. Maybe it's just lots of Manoa residents walking from home? Bring cash and a jacket/umbrella as its Manoa and it rains.

    WOW i've driven up…read moreand down oahu have many a time, and have never ever seen a japanese temple, so when is saw that there was an obon festival in manoa on oahu ave, i was a bit skeptical. then i saw the commercial on kiku - stunning... but was it just a picture of an obon elsewhere in japan? we met a sales person at pier one that day who was telling us that she really wanted to go to the obon festival in manoa tonight because they have the most beautiful lanterns there...really? now i'm really interested. so we drive down oahu avenue, and if not for the policemen standing on the street, and the pedestrians walking in, you would never now the temple was here because all you see from the street is a sign, and driveway. but as you walk down the driveway, you begin to see the most beautifully glowing lanterns down below you. what a surreal setting. a beautiful temple nestled in the slopey hill and the obon set up below. the gardens and ponds were beautiful. we totally want to go back to check it out in the daylight. so reminiscent of something you'd see in kyoto. if the beautiful lanterns aren't enough to persuade you to go, here's a few more: 1) teriyaki corn, freshly grilled on the hibachi 2) andagi 3) curry croquettes all, extremely delicous! it is extremely crowded, or at least it feels that way because the space is small, you do have to wait a while in lines to get your food, and the parking situation is bad, but it was totally worth it, and we're coming back next year. hey, you can always take uncle frank's limo (aka the bus) -the #5 bus stops right in front.

    Photos
    Koganji Temple - Kimono dog.  Turkey hot dog wrapped in andagi batter.

    Kimono dog. Turkey hot dog wrapped in andagi batter.

    Koganji Temple - Meat Katsu Donburi

    Meat Katsu Donburi

    Koganji Temple - Fried yakisoba noodle

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    Fried yakisoba noodle

    Wat Thai of Hawaii - Spicy basil pork (close-up)

    Wat Thai of Hawaii

    4.4(87 reviews)
    11.1 mi
    $

    Love the thai food very reasonable price. Staff very friendly. I will be following themread more

    I found this spot from my hours of research and I have been to the Hollywood one many times and…read morethought this might be a great spot to take my mom. She loves going to temples and loves Thai food so I definitely was excited to explore this temple together. Based on the address on Yelp, I got lost for a good 10-15 minutes. I almost gave up but luckily spotted it and had to do a U turn and we finally arrived. So I arrived 10 minutes before the food stalls closed but honestly they stayed opened a bit longer than their closing time. As I saw ppl arrive even later and was able to still make purchases. I do have to say that they do start cleaning, and not everything is available as things were being sold out. They have a table for you to grab utensils and condiments. There are some tables you can sit and eat the food that you purchase. Most of the food I purchased was about $10 each. And you pay each stall that you are at. My mom and I enjoyed everything we ordered, if only we were staying in Hawaii more days, we would definitely come back or even order more. The hard part is that they do not have a website and they are not open every Sunday either. So try calling or just randomly go and pray that it will be opened. I honestly really enjoyed my visit. Both a cool temple to go see and being able to eat authentic Thai food it was an extra bonus. 2 thumbs up from this Yelper. I highly recommend coming here if you have not been. Ordered: *Fried Bananas *Papaya Salad (you can request how spicy you want this) *Pork noodle soup *Sugar Cane Juice *Fish Cake *Water Bottle $1 *Pork spare rib Tips: *Cash Only *Restroom available. *Outside temple street parking in the dirt or pull in and try your luck to find parking.

    Photos
    Wat Thai of Hawaii - Food stall

    Food stall

    Wat Thai of Hawaii - Fishcakes (seasoned with basil and lemongrass) - 7 /$10

    Fishcakes (seasoned with basil and lemongrass) - 7 /$10

    Wat Thai of Hawaii - BBQ Pork - 7 skewers / $10

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    BBQ Pork - 7 skewers / $10

    Chinese Buddhist Association of Hawaii Hsu Yun Temple

    Chinese Buddhist Association of Hawaii Hsu Yun Temple

    4.4(12 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    My Hunny and I visited this temple on Mother's Day to give flowers to my Popo and Mom. It's a…read morebeautiful temple and although the parking is very small, somehow they make it work. There's a massive tree in the lot and a lotus blossoms in the nearby plant pots. We could hear the monks chanting during their ceremony and prayer/Meditation. We enjoyed taking photos of the nature surrounding the temple. It's a very peaceful, spiritual place where you can embrace nature. The breeze was cool and refreshing after we finished burning incense and cleared the smoke smell from out clothing. It was a lovely Mother's Day.

    I met my dad's cousin for the first time and she told me about this temple. I didn't know what to…read moreexpect. I mean, once you drive up, it's a little hard to believe that it is located in a residential area. It is really something to look at! Respecting the temple is the first thing to remember because you don't know who is watching. It was interesting that I took off my shoes and put them on a shelve with a bunch of other shoes, but no one else was inside. I walked around and looked at the different statues. I read some of the stories. I did take some pictures which I wasn't sure was okay or not. The one Buddha that called to me was the one with the many arms. I felt like him the past few months, doing way too much and juggle more things than I probably could handle. I knelt, lit an incense and said a little prayer. Hopefully He heard me. I also gave a money offering, which you should always do. Definitely worth coming to. Next time I'll spend more time meditating. 谢谢!

    Photos
    Chinese Buddhist Association of Hawaii Hsu Yun Temple - 5/24/25

    5/24/25

    Chinese Buddhist Association of Hawaii Hsu Yun Temple
    Chinese Buddhist Association of Hawaii Hsu Yun Temple

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    Izumo Taishakyo Mission - View of Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii

    Izumo Taishakyo Mission

    4.5(46 reviews)
    1.8 miKalihi

    Ring in the New Year with a visit to Izumo Mission in Honolulu. Visiting Izumo Shrine on New Year's…read moreDay has been a personal tradition of mine for many years. After watching the first sunrise of the year, I make my way here to begin the year with gratitude, reflection, and hope for what lies ahead. Each visit, I receive omamori for traffic safety and good fortune, along with a lucky arrow for protection and continued blessings throughout the year. The shrine feels especially meaningful on New Year's Day, filled with a quiet sense of reverence mixed with shared optimism from the community. Even with the crowds, the experience remains calm and grounding. If you plan to visit on New Year's Day, it's best to arrive early, as it can become quite busy later in the day. It's a meaningful and time-honored way to welcome the New Year and carry on a tradition that connects reflection, intention, and good fortune.

    明けましておめでとうございます!…read more Happy New Year as we welcome the year of the horse it's 2026 and I couldn't think of a better place to be right as it hits midnight as this temple has been a long tradition to start the year right. As this shrine dresses up for the occasion many gather here for various reasons whether it's to pray for good fortune, health and happiness, you start with a purification wash first to then make your way up to right the priests and wring the giant bell to follow with the ritual for your offering and prayer which they will help you and once done make your way down for your amazake and purchase your omamori after you rid of your previous years charms. It feels great to start the year right and be grateful for what I've received and to pray for a fabulous year ahead. どうもありがとうございます!m(_ _)m

    Photos
    Izumo Taishakyo Mission
    Izumo Taishakyo Mission
    Izumo Taishakyo Mission

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    Shingon Shu Hawaii - buddhist_temples - Updated May 2026

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