HR171

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	171
TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003
STATE OF HAWAII

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

SUPPORTING THE RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SANJU PAGODA IN NUUANU VALLEY.

 

 

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii established Honolulu Memorial Park as a community service cemetery in 1958; and

WHEREAS, the Honolulu membership of the Buddhist Federation commended and endorsed the development of the cemetery in 1964, whereupon it was decided that a monument be erected which would venerate the followers of the Buddhist faith; and

WHEREAS, Herbert M. Richards, President of Honolulu Memorial Park, resolved to create the Kinkaku-ji memorial, along with the Sanju Pagoda, which were completed and opened in July 1966, in the amiable tradition of his late father, Dr. Theodore Richards; and

WHEREAS, in 1966, the Senior Minister of the Kinkaku-ji of Kyoto, Japan, Abbot Jikai Murakami, was present for the opening of the Kinkaku-ji memorial and gave his blessing; and

WHEREAS, the Sanju or three-tiered Pagoda is a colorful Japanese structure constructed in or about 1966 and situated at the Honolulu Memorial Park in historic Nuuanu Valley; and

WHEREAS, a scenic stop area was constructed along the Pali Highway to take advantage of the view of the Pagoda and surrounding area; and

WHEREAS, for the past thirty-six years, the Sanju Pagoda has been a beautiful part of the Honolulu skyline, as seen from the Pali Highway and surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS, the Sanju Pagoda is a one and a half times larger replica of the Sanju Pagoda of Minami Hokko-ji Temple near Nara, Japan, and is said to be the largest structure of its kind in the world and one of the few structures of its kind in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Sanju Pagoda near Nara, Japan, was declared a National Architectural Treasure by the Japanese Government as an outstanding example of the architecture of the Momoyama Period (1574-1602); and

WHEREAS, the preservation of the Sanju Pagoda significantly enhances the environmental quality of the State; and

WHEREAS, the social, cultural, and educational value of the Sanju Pagoda contributes significantly to the understanding and enjoyment of the history and culture of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the quality of significance in the Japanese-American history, architecture, and culture, which is present in the Sanju Pagoda, possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship; and

WHEREAS, this brightly colored coral, mustard, white and turquoise concrete structure rises to a height of 116 feet and also serves as a columbarium and final resting place of the remains of followers of the Buddhist faith and others who believe in cremation; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that this body recognizes the beauty and cultural significance of the Sanju Pagoda as a valuable asset to the State of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives fully supports the restoration and maintenance of the beautiful Sanju Pagoda as a valuable cultural asset of the State of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu, is respectfully requested to advise and assist the operators of the Honolulu Memorial Park in any manner it deems appropriate for the continued maintenance of the Sanju Pagoda; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu, Hawaii, the family of the late Herbert M. Richards, and the owners and operators of the Honolulu Memorial Park.

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Sanju Pagoda; Renovation and Maintenance