KAWASHIMO • 川下
Hugging the banks of the Sacramento River, some thirty miles downstream of Sacramento, in the area known as the California Delta, lies the quiet little community of Walnut Grove, known to Issei Japanese as “Kawashimo.” Japanese immigrants came to California by the tens of thousands in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many settled in the rich agricultural regions of the Central Valley. They brought with them their Buddhist spiritual traditions and began a network of Shin Buddhist temples.
THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY
Around 1923, concern grew for the need of a place of gathering for people with a Buddhist background and for the religious training of the young ones. Around this time, people in this area gathered from time to time to hold Howakai at different homes. On these occasions, ministers from the Buddhist Church of Sacramento came 25 miles to conduct the services. On special occasions, such as funerals, people traveled to the Church in Sacramento.
In 1924, Mrs. Tome Yoshida, a devout Buddhist, started a Buddhist Sunday School in her own home in Walnut Grove with about fifteen pupils. The tables and benches made for this school can still be found in her home today.
A few years later, an intense interest arose among the people to build a church in Walnut Grove. As a result, a committee was formed, headed by the three most influential residents among the Buddhists, Shodo Tatsuda, Ukichi Kuwabara and Seitaro Hayashi. This committee worked to found the Walnut Grove Buddhist Church. Kikunoshin Hirotsu was appointed building construction chairman of the gigantic project.
CHURCH BUILDING CONSTRUCTED
The church building was completed in 1927 and became a branch of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento. The services at the Church were conducted by Shodo Tatsuda under the guidance of ministers from Sacramento.
On January 24, 1929, the first meeting was held to officially organize the church group. Hikotaro Inaba was elected as the first president to lead the group. The interest was overwhelming, and large numbers of people committed themselves to supporting the Church. On February 1, 1931, with 130 members, Walnut Grove Buddhist Church became independent and severed its ties with the Buddhist Church of Sacramento. On May 31, 1931, Rev. Chonen Terakawa was assigned to the new church. A special dedicatory service was held on August 8 and 9, 1931. Rev. Terakawa also started to conduct services at Isleton in 1932 in a barrack-type building. He also started family services and a Japanese Language School near Thornton on a large farm known as Canal Ranch, where several Japanese families were residing.
CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS
In 1927, about ten teenage girls from the church started a club known as Shiragikukai at the home of Shodo Tatsuda. Pre-teen age girls also became organized as Shojokai (Young Girls Buddhist Association) in June 1930. Young boys were not left out in getting organized either. With thirteen members, they formed the Young Men’s Buddhist Association in 1928. In May 1938, the YMBA and YWBA (formed sometime earlier) merged to form a YBA with a membership of 80. The Fujinkai was officially organized on January 8, 1932.
The neighboring community of Isleton, after completion of their church building, held its Nyubutsushiki on October 28, 1934, with many members from Walnut Grove participating.
The visitation of Renshi Shojo Ohtani on January 29, 1935, was perhaps one of the most important events for many Jodo Shinshu followers of Walnut Grove, at which time nearly 100 members were able to receive their Confirmation.
EARLY PHOTOS FROM OUR CHURCH (SLIDESHOW)
FORCED REMOVAL AND INCARCERATION DURING WWII
When the Second World War started with Japan and caused the evacuation of people of Japanese ancestry, the church building was boarded up and sealed for the duration. The Japanese of the town were evacuated to Merced and Turlock Assembly Centers and then to Amache, Colorado and Gila, Arizona Relocation Centers. Some of the people residing in the outlying area of Walnut Grove went to Walerga Assembly Center and then to Tule Lake Relocation Center.
On July 27, 1945, Shigeo Kato and his family of five returned to Walnut Grove, and with the aid of Tomio Matsuoka, Rev. Takeo Agatsuma (a Walnut Grove Methodist Church minister), and Ralph Sugimoto, made preparations to receive other returnees. The Church was converted to a hostel, and in August, the first group from Gila came back, while the group in Amache came back in September.
ISLETON JOINS WALNUT GROVE
Returnees to the Isleton area found their Church looted and heavily damaged. Thus, the members sold the building and disbanded the Isleton Buddhist Church. Funds received from the sale of the building were donated to the Walnut Grove Buddhist Church and to the New York Buddhist Academy. Isleton Buddhists decided to join the Walnut Grove Buddhist Church.
On December 16, 1945, with Rev. Takuyu Shirakawa also returning, the Church sponsored a combined Memorial Service and a Hoonko Service for members who passed away during the evacuation days. At the same time, the Fujinkai and the YBA were reactivated.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
The Church mourned the passing of Rev. Shirakawa in October, 1949. In July, 1950, it welcomed Rev. Seikaku Mizutani from Lodi.
1952 was a busy year for the Walnut Grove Buddhists with the visitation of the Lord Abbot Kosho Ohtani, the construction of our Nokotsudo and the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Walnut Grove Buddhist Church.
The passing of Rev. Mizutani on September 25, 1972, after a short illness, was a great loss to the Church. He had served the Church for 22 years. His missionary work goes back to 1916 when he arrived in the United States as a youth of 20. His service to the BCA and the Buddhists spans a period of 56 years from 1916 to 1972. His record, so far, has never been matched by any other minister. Rev. Mizutani’s long years of dedication in the services of the Buddhist ministry will be long remembered by all.
In 1973, the church welcomed Reverend Shoshin Ota from Japan. Changing demographics resulted in the church now being composed of 120 members, with almost one-half of the congregation made up of widows and aged members. At the time, Dharma School was attended by about 30 pupils. Between 1979 and 1990, Reverend Shoko Masunaga served as the church's last full-time minister, and he and his wife would be the last couple to occupy the church residence. Following Reverend Masunaga's retirement, the Lodi Buddhist Church began to play a significant and supportive role, as Reverend Ken Fujimoto provided Supervising Ministerial duties to the church. Reverend Akira Ono returned from retirement to provide part-time ministerial services, commuting from Sacramento. There was a marked decline in church activities due to the population shifts towards larger cities and students attending colleges and universities away from home.
By 2008, the church membership remained stable at around 120 members. The Walnut Grove Buddhist Women's Association (Fujinkai) celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a membership of about 41 women. The church's Supervising Minister was Reverend Harry Bridge from the Lodi Buddhist Church, and the Ministerial Assistant was a longtime Walnut Grove Buddhist Church member, Roy Mayhugh.
Our small Dharma and Adult Schools met monthly with children attending from Stockton, Davis, Rancho Cordova, Walnut Grove, Clarksburg, and Isleton. Blessed with the continued tenacity and community support of members, relatives, and friends, the annual Walnut Grove Buddhist Church Bazaar continued to be a great tradition on the first weekend in July every year with our last bazaar held in July 2019. We carry on the tradition now with a July Bento and Chicken Teriyaki fundraiser for the community.
As we approach our 100th Anniversary coming in 2027, other celebrations and services, such as Keirokai, Hanamatsuri, and Obon, continue to bring people together to continue our Buddhist teachings. There is brightness in the future; with the building of the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, California, there is renewed hope that Buddhism will be embraced by a greater diversity of people and that the charming, little "Kawashimo" church will continue to open its doors and welcome those who wish to share in the teachings of the Buddha.