Schedule

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Friday, April 21, 2023

Salt Lake City Buddhist Temple
211 West 100 South
Salt Lake City, Utah

  • 5:00 p.m. Doors open. Registration and Obento Dinner/Art Show/Paper flower activity
  • 6:00 p.m. Welcome: Floyd Mori, Former President/CEO of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and former Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens’ League

Opening Remarks: Troy Watanabe, Salt Lake City Buddhist Church

In Search of James Hatsuaki Wakasa: Nancy Ukai, 50 Objects and Wakasa Memorial Committee

Takahashi Foundation Award of Excellence presented to former Senator Jani Iwamoto

  • Wakasa Memorial Stone and Site Preservation and Conservation Presentation with Introduction by Jani Iwamoto

Chris Merritt, Utah State Historic Preservation Office

John Lambert, Stone conservator

Jani Iwamoto, Former Utah State Senator

Topaz Museum: Ann Tamaki Dion, Sherrie Hayashi, Bill Hisashi Sugaya
Wakasa Memorial Committee: Karen Kiyo Lowhurst, Masako Takahashi, Nancy Ukai

  • 7:30 p.m. Closing Remarks

Saturday, April 22, 2023

RJ Law Community Center
(75 West Main Street, Delta)
Topaz Historic Site (10000 West 4500 North, Delta)
All visitors to the site should meet at the Community Center to receive travel directions.
Topaz Museum (55 West Main Street, Delta)

  • 6:45 a.m. meet bus for Delta at Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, 211 West 100 South
  • 7:00 a.m. Bus departs for Delta
  • 9:00-10:00 a.m. Registration and travel instruction at the R.J. Law Community Center in Delta

∗ Everyone traveling to the site by bus or private vehicle MUST report to the community center, for travel parking instructions. Strict compliance with outlined procedures is necessary to accommodate all the vehicles at the site.

∗ If you are traveling in a private vehicle, please plan to arrive in Delta by 9:30 a.m. and park immediately behind (south) of the Topaz Museum and R.J. Law Community Center. To access the parking lot from Main Street, turn south on 100 West, proceed 1/2 block south and turn east into the large lot.

∗ For those setting up at the site, we have planned parking areas to make way for the emergency vehicles and the bus. 11000 West will become a one-way road entered from 4500 North. Specific parking directions and routes to the Topaz site will be explained. We urge everyone to follow the caravan instead of driving separately.

∗ Please take advantage of extra seating on the bus in lieu of traveling by vehicle. Carpooling is strongly encouraged to keep the numbers of parked cars to a minimum. Museum volunteers and members of the Millard County Jeep Posse will assist with directing traffic and parking once at the site.

∗ Emergency responders must have access to all areas of the site at all times. Some roads will be closed to thru traffic.

  • 10:00-10:45 a.m. Caravan to the Topaz Incarceration Site
  • 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Walking Pilgrimage and Wakasa Ceremony

Chitose no iwa yo [Verse 1, Rock of Ages in Japanese] – Rev. Michael Yoshii, Co-chair, Friends of Wadi Foquin

Remarks on the Land and People – Kanosh Band of Paiute Indians Chairwoman Darlene Arrum

Land Purification Ceremony – Rev. Amy Uzunoe-Chin, Konko Church

Scripture Reading – Psalm 23 and II Corinthians 12:8-9 – Rev. France Davis, Calvary Baptist Church

Sermon – Rev. Michael Yoshii

Rock of Ages – English – Joshua Shimizu

Heart Sutra Chanting – Dedication to James Hatsuaki Wakasa – Rev. Duncan Ryuken Williams, Zenshuji Soto Mission

Offering of Paper Flowers at Altar during Chanting – everyone gathered

Closing Flower Offering – Rev. Michael Yoshii and Rev. Duncan Ryuken Williams

   * For those who are walking to the ceremony:

Follow the pathway from Block 36 inside the camp fence.

Walkers will stand during the program. (Chairs will be outside the fence.)

   * For the non-walkers:

Travel by bus to the program site located on the county road.

Those riding on the bus will be seated during the program.

  • 12:45-1:00 p.m. Clean site and pick up chairs to clear road for traffic.
  • 1:00-1:30 p.m. Return caravan to the R.J. Law Center in Delta
  • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Lunch at the R.J. Law Center
  • 2:30-2:45 p.m. Wakasa Memorial Stone Purification Ceremony at the Topaz Museum

Konko Purification Ceremony for the Mitama Spirit of James Hatsuaki Wakasa at Stone Monument – Rev. Amy Uzunoe-Chin

Offering of Evergreen Branches of Purification -Rev. Amy Uzunoe-Chin and Camp Survivors

Buddhist Healing Mantra Chanting – Rev. Duncan Ryuken Williams

Offering of Senbazuru Cranes from Children of Wakasa’s Hometown (Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture) -Nancy Ukai

  • 2:45-4:30 p.m. Procession through museum and courtyard to the Wakasa Memorial Stone

Offering of Paper Cranes with the Names of Those Died at Topaz Placed at Altar and Touching of the stone- everyone gathered (Optional offering of personal items to Mr. Wakasa)

Recitation of the Names of Those Died at Topaz – camp survivors and designated guests in courtyard

Closing Prayer – Rev. Michael Yoshii

  • 4:30-5:00 p.m. Clean up RJ Law Center
  • 5:00 p.m. Bus departs from the Topaz Museum to the Buddhist Temple in SLC