SEBASTOPOL — The only standing 1933 Chicago World’s Fair exhibit
must have had good karma because it’s enjoying its life as a Sonoma
County Buddhist temple for the 76th year.
To celebrate the anniversary, the members of Enmanji Buddhist
Temple in Sebastopol are hosting a jam-packed cultural event to
share their Japanese heritage with the public.
They will be serving up about 5,000 plates of the signature dish
while showcasing their traditions at the 56th Annual Teriyaki
Barbecue and Bazaar at the temple from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July
11.
The Japanese community in the Bay Area credits this event as the
“grandfather of Bay Area teriyaki barbecues” since Enmanji members
were the first group to share this historic dish with the general
public. At that time, marinating and barbecuing chicken was only
privy to the Japanese, said the temple’s minister, Rev. Carol
Himaka.
As well as being the pioneers of teriyaki chicken in the Bay
Area, Enmanji is known as “the oldest chicken barbecue fundraiser
of all the BCA [The Buddhist Churches of America] Buddhist
temples,” Himaka said.
After getting a taste of original Japanese cooking, flirt with
Lady Luck and enjoy a full day of cultural activities. Members will
be raffling off cash prizes of $1,000, $250 and $100, plus many
other prizes. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the fundraiser for
$1 each.
The event will feature martial arts demonstrations on the
outdoor stage from the DeLeon Judo Club at 11 a.m. and the
International Budo Academy at noon. Also on the outdoor stage,
Sonoma County Taiko will perform the Japanese art of drumming at 1
and 4 p.m.
Other activities include a bonsai exhibit from Redwood Empire
Bonsai Society, Ikebana flower arrangement demonstration and sale,
a plant sale, handicrafts, bingo games for kids and Himaka will
conduct a dharma talk about the Buddha’s teachings. Enmanji member
Henry Kaku will also curate an exhibit of Japanese-American
internment camp artifacts.
For those unfamiliar with the Japanese-American internment
experience, members will screen a short film that touches on the
subject and uncovers the story of how a small group of young people
protected the temple from being destroyed while its members were
forced into internment camps. The film, “Leap of Faith: How Enmanji
Temple was Saved” will play at 2 and 3:30 p.m. in the temple.
The documentary illustrates Japanese-Americans strong
involvement in Sebastopol and the town’s tight-knit community.
“A lot of people were very lucky in the sense that their
neighbors were very supportive and agreed to take care of their
(the Japanese Americans) property or possessions while they were
away. And so when they came out (of the internment camps), they
were able to come back and resume their farms and had not lost
everything because they were only given permission to take a
suitcase with them (to the camps),” Himaka said.
The film’s director, Lina Hoshino explains that Sebastopol
teenagers weren’t caught up in politics and simply thought the
vandalism attempts on the temple were wrong.
“I’m hoping what the young people did in the movie will provide
inspiration for young folks today,” she said.
The Enmanji Buddhist Temple has a lot to celebrate on this 76th
anniversary, considering it was never meant to be a permanent
structure.
The building started its days as Manchurian Railroad Company’s
exhibit hall for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. The Manchurian
Railroad Company built the structure to show off its unique
architectural styling of a 12th century Kamakura Japanese temple,
Himaka said.
After the fair, the company donated the building to the Buddhist
Mission of North America, which eventually was given to the Sonoma
County Buddhist Temple under the condition that its members paid to
transport the dissembled building to Sebastopol by rail.
Enmanji members hired Japanese artisans from San Francisco to
reassemble the temple in the traditional Japanese cross-beam
construction style without the use of nails. They started the
project on Jan. 26, 1934 and finished on Oct. 15, 1934.
“But over the years, since Japanese wood tends to dry out here
in the Americas, they had to put a lot of screws and nails in to
keep it together,” Himaka said.
The Enmanji Buddhist Temple is located on 1200 Gravenstein
Highway, South at Elphick Road in Sebastopol. For more information
about the fundraiser or the temple, visit their Web site at
www.sonic.net/~enmanji
or call 823-2252.
The cost of a chicken teriyaki plate with half of a chicken,
potato salad, rice and tea or coffee is $10.
Ready to heat boxed dinners will be available starting at 8 a.m.
for drive-through pick-up. If teriyaki chicken doesn’t tickle the
taste buds, members will also be serving hamburgers for the first
time.
Proceeds from the teriyaki bazaar will support the local Enmanji
Buddhist Temple and community activities.
