Fall 1995

Rev. Yukitaka Yamamoto

I would like to express my most sincere appreciation to all of you for attending this ceremony

In 1979 Tsubaki America was registered as a non-profit charitable organization by the State of California. Since then 16 years have passed.

In 1987, we made the decision to construct a Shinto shrine here in Stockton, and Eight years have passed since then. Recalling various incidents which have occurred during these past years, I must say that having been able to continue activities in the United States without experiencing major problems is miraculous. There is no doubt that without your continuous support and warm friendship for Tsubaki America staff members and their families, we simply could not have kept this small flame alive.

As you know already, the pri . ma ry objective of Tsubaki America is not to proselytize but to provide a place for a forum for growth in mutual understanding between the United States and Japan by introducing Shinto and by searching together for was to work for the world peace through presentation, participation, encounter and dialogue. This has not changed at all.

However, evaluation of activi ties of the past 16 years has not always been affirmative. Therefore we are seriously examining what we have done and are rethinking future plan for Tsubaki America.

One thing that I am very happy about is the fact that three Shinto priests have lived here for years, developed in the United States and gained very important experience. The first, Yukiyasu or Jun Yamamoto, who is my son and the next chief priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, constructed Tsubaki America Shrine in Stockton. Hitoshi Iwasaki, who is here with me now, was second. And the third, Tetsuji Ochiai, as you know is living in Tsubaki House now. They have been able to make friends and deepen friendships with you. I am sure this can be considered a big achievement for all of us.

With regard to the future of Tsubaki America , we have decide to improve the activity programs rather than improving the facilities. They are not new, but we will place more emphasis on the following three programs:

The first is the publication of a new version of the Tsubaki America newsletter. (This is already started.) This is designed not only to improve the quality of the present newsletter, but also to increase the number in distribution by carefully defining the audience. To do this, editorial and translation team work with our friends in the United States and people within Tsubaki Grand Shrine is imperative, consequently it is hoped that this will help train and educate Shrine staff for publishing and interfaith activities,

A second program will be a new attempt, It is to organize a seminar, called "Spiritual Retreat," in which Japanese friends will visit Tsubaki America Shrine and experience misogi in the United States and America friends will visit Tsubaki Grand Shrine and practice misogi in Japan. This bilateral program will take place annually.

The third program will place greater emphasis on inter-religious activities. It will include regular participation in Unitarian Universalist Association General Assemblies, positive cooperation in the area of religious freedom and such with the IARF North American Regional Office in connection with supporting the international Interfaith Center now being established in Oxford, and continuing the Tsubaki Scholarship program and lectures about Shinto in the Starr King School for the Ministry

In order to carry out these programs, we have decided to increase the budget and are analyzing the possibility of increasing the number of Shinto priests staying here. However, it is impossible to handle all these programs just by ourselves. Therefore I would like to ask you to continue helping Tsubaki America and the Rev. Tetsuji Ochiai.

Finally, I sincerely hope that by visiting Tsubaki Shrine of America and discovering that a Shinto Shrine really exists here in the United States and by participating in Shinto services and rituals, you will discover the heart of longing for world peace, an awareness common to human beings.

New Board member of Tsubaki America Dr. Delmer Brown has been elected to succeed Dr. Richard Boeke as a member of the Board of trustees of Tsubaki America Dr. Brown studied and taught in Japan for 23 years total. He was on The Facul ty of the University of California at Berkeley from 1946 to 1978. Dr. Boeke, former minister of the Berkeley Unitarian Universalist church, is now in England.