Byodo-In Temple

47-200 Kahekili Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
Phone: +1 808-239-9844

The Byodo-In Temple is a non-denominational temple located on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi at the Valley of the Temples. It was dedicated in August 1968 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaiʻi. The temple is a replica of a 900-year-old Buddhist temple at Uji in Kyoto prefecture of Japan. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a functioning Buddhist temple in the proper sense as it does not host a resident monastic community nor an active congregation. Inside the Byodo-In Temple is a 18 ft (5.5 m) statue of the Lotus Buddha, a wooden image depicting Amitabha. It is covered in gold and lacquer. Outside is a three-ton, brass peace bell. Surrounding the temple are large koi ponds that cover a total of two acres (8,000 m²). Around those ponds are lush Japanese gardens set against a backdrop of towering cliffs of the Ko’olau mountains. The gardens are home to sparrows and peacocks. The temple covers 11,000 sq ft (1,000 m2).

The Byodo-In Temple is visited and used by thousands of worshipers from around the world. It welcomes people of all faiths to participate in its traditions. Apart from worship, the temple grounds are also used for weddings and office meetings.

Byodo-In Temple was commissioned and built largely by concrete (the original is wooden without the use of nails) in 1968 at its present location in the Valley of the Temples to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the arrival of Japanese culture to Hawaiʻi. It was dedicated by Governor John A. Burns, a favorite of the Japanese community for his long service for the cause of Japanese rights during the state’s territorial years. Japanese immigrants entered the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and later Territory of Hawaiʻi to labor in the sugarcane and pineapple plantations. They joined the Chinese, Filipino, Korean, native Hawaiians and Portuguese.

Byodo-In Temple previously housed the remains of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. His body was held in a mausoleum until it was moved back to the Philippines where it is now held in a refrigerated tomb.

The TV series Hawaii Five-O and Magnum, P.I. featured several episodes where the temple is incorporated into the plot. The temple and its vicinity also served as a stand-in for South Korea in one episode of the ABC series Lost and as the Presidential Villa in an episode of seaQuest DSV.

The temple was also used in the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor as a replica of the Byodo-In Temple in Japan as well as several other movies.
Source : wikipedia 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uxzn1LmS68
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5alckbsaWxc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKxxP0xoErA
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