Memorial Day, established in 1868 as Decoration Day, honors the 1.2 million American men and women who have died in military service since the Civil War began in 1861. Memorial Day observation is ONLY for these heroes. As less than 7% of citizens ever served, Americans have forgotten the reason for this solemn observation. These valiant men and women gave ALL to defend and protect our nation, way of life and freedom. We are not giving all to them in return.
UPDATE 4.21.24: Imperial Japanese Forces in Hawai’i Work to Destroy America
In Hawai’i, supporters of Imperial Japan that attacked Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, killed 25 MILLION Chinese, forced Korean women into sex slaves for their men; forced Korean men to do slave work for their army; murdered 10,000s of Filipinos and committed genocide across the Pacific during WW2, now work to ERASE the memory of those who stopped their aggression. Americans DO NOTHING as our nation is attacked from within.
UPDATE 1.19.24: Three More American Heroes Give Their Lives to Protect Our Freedom
Americans continue to pretend they support the troops. An Imperial Japanese group seeks to erase the memory of our heroes. Americans are too distracted to care!
UPDATE May 31, 2023: Want to thank state Senator Mike Gabbard, father of Tulsi Gabbard, and others who have responded. Believe we have a compromise that works for everyone. We seek peace and harmony, not conflict. National Memorial Day Concert also held Sunday before Monday.
Aloha e Pete and Scott…agree 100%…I’ll draft a petition to my colleagues in the Legislature asking them to sign on asking Shinnyo-en to change their event to the Sunday before Memorial Day. If Shinnyo-en doesn’t comply, we could introduce a concurrent resolution in the House and Senate next session, and formally ask them to change it to Sunday.
Your thoughts?
Mahalo,
Senator Mike Gabbard, father of Tulsi Gabbard
From: Hiiaka Jardine
Date: Thu, Jun 1, 2023, 9:57 AM
Subject: RE: Asking Shinnyo-en to change their event to the Sunday before Memorial Day
To: Pete Aloha
Cc: Sen. Brenton Awa senawa@capitol.hawaii.gov
Aloha Pete,
Thank you for sharing your personal opinion regarding the scheduling of the Floating Lantern Festival on Memorial Day. Senator Awa appreciates your engagement and understands your concerns. He acknowledges the significance of Memorial Day as a day to remember and honor our fallen military members.
Senator Awa will take your viewpoint into consideration and explore possible avenues to address this matter effectively. They appreciate your dedication to maintaining the solemnity and reverence of Memorial Day.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns. Rest assured that Senator Awa is committed to representing the best interests of the community.
Mahalo,
Hi’iaka Jardine
Office of Senator Brenton Awa, Sentate District 23
Hawai’i State Capitol, Room 203
415 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808)586-7730
What if Lantern Floating was on another day? Sgt. Major Robert W. Holub, U.S. Marine Corps (retired), wondered how well-attended Shinnyo-en lantern floating event would be if it was not held on a federal holiday honoring the war dead of the United States of America? Would there be 45,000 people willing to take off from work or participate after work to be part of this ceremony?
Excellent question. We believe 45,000 people might attend if held on Sunday. Let’s compromise. Stop hijacking Memorial Day. We want everyone to sleep well — particularly our heroic American men and women who died in service to our nation.
Memorial Day actually began in 1865 when 10,000 former enslaved Black human beings and a few White missionaries honored fallen Union soldiers. The observation was founded in memory of those who gave their life to end the terror of white supremacy, slavery and human trafficking.
President Biden and Rep. John Curtis observed Memorial Day, “We will never be able to repay the debt we owe them.” Their legacy, along with countless others, “underscores the importance of this solemn day of remembrance.”
Majority of people in Hawai’i are not patriotic. Honolulu has the highest concentration of Asians in the nation (70%). Asian Americans are good people. Visitors from Japan are good friends. StarAd Big Q daily poll shows few locals think kindly and respectfully of our fallen heroes.
One group, Shinnyo-en, appears to have sinister motives to ERASE the memory of our fallen heroes. They host an event on Memorial Day — Floating Lantern Hawai’i — which drowns the Memorial Day observation of our fallen American heroes.
Patriotic American DO NOT host major memorial events on Memorial Day. Floating Lantern Hawai’i is a delightful event. We have no issues with the event itself or with Shinnyo-en. We encourage people to participate. We ONLY ask Japanese Shinnyo-en to hold their event on Sunday — Shinnyo Sunday. They refuse. Memorial Day is ONLY for Americans heroes who died serving our nation. Shinnyo-en is engaged in shameful Cultural Appropriation.
Few people visit Punchbowl, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawai’i, to honor the fallen Americans. We have forgotten the sacrifice of our national heroes. See for yourself in the short video below.
An estimated 45,000 people attended the Floating Lantern Hawai’i event last evening. All we simply request is that Shinnyo-en host their event on Sunday. How about Memorial Weekend — rather than a single day? Sunday for civilians: your grandfather, my mother, your parents. Monday reserved ONLY for Americans who died while serving in uniform.
Political Action and Requests for Cooperation
In 2019, we tried numerous times to convince Shinnyo-en peacefully and civilly to change the day of their large observation. Not only does the event trample on the memory of our fallen heroes, but local families would prefer a Sunday slot. Monday evening is difficult as they must get to work early on Tuesday:
Charlene Ide Flanter Communications Manager/Program Officer Nā Lei Aloha Foundation 1953 S. Beretania, Suite 4C Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 office: (808) 942-1848 x.4 cellular: (808) 256-2181 Aloha Charlene, I was speaking with a group of people about this conflict over the weekend. They said something that may help both our interests. They attended this year’s event. Quite a lengthy ordeal with much entertainment and excitement they said. Their biggest concern??? They really didn’t like finishing so late Monday evening. Parking, traffic, crowds … they didn’t get home early enough. Had to work Tuesday morning. When I mentioned I suggested moving your joyous and inspiring event to Sunday, they were delighted. They had no problem being out late Sunday evening. They could sleep in Monday. They also found this proposed format to be an excellent compromise. Both groups could observe in their unique ways and the two-day observation would strengthen our binds rather than conflict with each other. Thought their words and opinions might be helpful. Please do not leave me wondering. This is extremely important to those who have served and fallen. There are so many reasons to compromise and work together. Let’s not turn this into a negative situation. Thank you in advance. Please email and politely ask Shinnyo-en to change date to Sunday. info@naleialoha.org jgibson@sef.org itsuchida@sef.org rencarnacion@sef.org jsantoso@sef.org info@shinnyoenhawaii.org cflanter@naleialoha.org
Shinnyo-en claims to seek harmony and peace among people. When the founder of Shinnyo-en visited Hawaii in 1970, he paid respects at Punchbowl and the Arizona Memorial. Profoundly moved by this experience, he was inspired with the wish to hold a lantern floating where people could share their hopes for peace.
His successor, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, realized his wish in the form of the first Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi on Memorial Day in 1999. She has not sought hopes for peace. She chooses conflict and division over harmony.
For the first three years, the event was held at Keʻehi Lagoon on the south shore of Oʻahu. In 2002, the ceremony was moved a few miles down the coast to Ala Moana Beach, where it has since been observed annually. Since lockdowns were set in place in 2020, the ceremony has been held in different formats while still remaining true to the spirit of its beginning. During the pandemic, Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi offered in-person interactive, as well as virtual, experiences. The ceremony at Ala Moana Beach fully resumed in 2023, allowing participants to share their inner light of shinnyo with the world.
Share Their Inner Light of Shinnyo With the World
Shinnyo-en exposes their goal — they are marketing their version of Buddhism to Americans in Hawai’i, as they ask them to “share their inner light of shinnyo with the world.”
Shinnyo-en is free to practice their religion in the United States, due to the heroic sacrifice of the American men and women who GAVE THEIR LIVES for this freedom. Shinnyo-en diminishes their memory and our annual observation. Sunday is perfect solution to this concern. Shinnyo-en stubbornly refuses to be considerate and kind to our fallen heroes. Despicable!!!
Eleanor Crisostomo was at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific yesterday. She posted one of the many reasons for the Memorial Day holiday. The day of observation is not for Shinnyo-en to promote their religion or diminish the memory of our fallen heroes.
Remember Japan in World War II
We wrote to Shinnyo-en prior to Monday’s event asking them to change the day:
Your event tomorrow sure disappoints us. CNN has an informative article about the attack on USS Panay by Japan in the late 1930s. This period was a terrible time in the world for all. Americans and Japanese are such good friends today. Near the end of the article, author shares comments from a young Japanese girl: ***** Japanese are still a chivalrous people ***** “That side of the incident, at least, is profoundly touching and shows that at heart the Japanese are still a chivalrous people,” Grew wrote in “Ten Years in Japan,” his book on his time as ambassador. Plante quotes one letter in particular, from a 13-year-old girl: “We want to tell you how sorry we are for the mistake our airplane[s] made. We want you to forgive us. I am little and do not understand very well, but I know they did not mean it. I feel so sorry for those who were hurt and killed.” ***** We’re ALL sad about the war. We however must remember war so we do not fall into failure again. The Jewish people never forget the Holocaust and Hitler’s atrocities. Memorial Day isn’t a time to remember the USA and Japan conflict in WWII; it’s not a time to build or strengthen relations between our two amazing countries and cultures. We remember the fallen American heroes. Please respect our customs and tradition. We must nevertheless not forget Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawai'i; murdered over 25 MILLION Chinese; turned Korean women into sex slaves; annihilated the Filipino people; and committed genocide across the Pacific. Hitler murdered only 6 MILLION Jews in comparison. Many of the men and women resting at Punchbowl died to stop this aggression. You’re not American. You do not understand our culture. You are trampling on this sacred day of solemn observation. You are not being chivalrous. You are being quite rude and unkind, which is so untypical of Japanese people. We ask therefore why do you persist in this cultural appropriation? To many Americans, they believe your motives are sinister. It appears you hope to ERASE the memory of those who gave ALL. Your event diminishes their memory of total sacrifice. They GAVE everything … 100%. Boys of 18 never got the opportunity to kiss a girl, get married or see their first baby born. Fathers and mothers were not able to return home to their family. They GAVE ALL. Shinnyo Sunday would be an awesome and beautiful event. We could have a warm, harmonious and compassionate weekend — together in peace — to observe our loved ones. I am asking you to do the right thing at this time. They gave ALL … we will give ALL to protect and defend their HONOR and MEMORY. You are instigating a fight. You are inflaming relations between nations of good friends. Your action is Tone Deaf. I have tried to educate you. You ignore and disrespect our voices. Do you wish to dredge up old battles and failures? Shinnyo Sunday is a peaceful and chivalrous compromise. Choose wisely!
Shinnyo-en claims, “The spiritual practices at Shinnyo-en are rooted in understanding that all living beings are interconnected. The tradition focuses on simple practices in our daily lives that nurture and bring out our natural goodness and foster harmony in the relationships we share with others.”
Their action in Hawai’i does not nurture and bring out “our natural goodness and foster harmony.” Shinnyo-en creates anger, strife and division. Horrible!!!
One cannot treat others like garbage and worship God at the same time.
ClearHealthLife put together a collage of video clips covering the event from a bird’s eye view. The 45,000+ attendees overwhelmed streets and walkways. As Monday is a state and national holiday, there are not enough support police and crowd-control personnel to manage the event safely. From the video it is clear that there were numerous potentially deadly accidents about to happen.
There is one amicable, civil, loving, peaceful and harmonious solution. Please, Shinnyo-en, host your delightful event on Sunday. Leave Monday for America’s fallen heroes. If you are truly kind, compassionate and respectful people, you will grant our request and join us in honoring those who gave ALL for our freedom, nation and way of life.
Remember you heard it here first. Please leave your comments below and be sure to FOLLOW ClearHeath Life Strategies. We provide News of the News You Wish You Knew.
Ko’olau of Kaua’i. I am the Defiant One
“I Believe We Can”
ClearHealthLife Strategies 
I 100% agree with you, they need to move next year’s Shinnyo-en Ceremony to Sunday May 26th, 2024 – NOT on Memorial Day, that day is reserved for honoring and remembering our fallen troops who paid the ultimate sacrifice.