#My fist time seeing the Swastika or "Manji" in Japan

... My first encounter with how the West perceives the swastika happened in April 1986, the second year after I came to the United States from Japan to serve at a Buddhist temple in Seattle. I made a flower shrine for the Buddha’s Birthday, the “Hanamatsuri” ceremony. The flower shrine is a central feature of the Hanamatsuri. I arranged chrysanthemum blossoms in the shape of a swastika on the front roof of the shrine, as this was the tradition I had been taught and practiced in Japan. ...

 from "the Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross" (page5)

This was the first time for me to use the swastika symbol in this country in 1986, and had NOT used for 25 years until 2011 when I took this symbol as my dissertation for Doctor of Ministry Program at the New York Theological Seminary.

I am thinking to myself.  When was the first time possibly for me to see the swastika symbol in Japan?  I believe this (see the photo) may be the one.  It is the swastika or "Manji" in Japanese at my family cemetery at Nakagaito, Daito city in Osaka.  I believe when I was born, my family must have taken me to the family cemetery to report to my ancestors.

After I graduated from the New York Theological Seminary, I visited Daito City, and paid respect to my ancestors at the cemetery.  To my surprise, I saw a big Manji at the gate of the cemetery.  I was told that the cemetery was always the same way for a long time.  The symbol has become so close to Japanese culture for over a thousand years that Japanese people usually do not pay attention to it.  It is there, but not there. It is not there, but there! Since the Manji is a symbol of the Buddha's light, it means that I was surrounded by the Light of the Buddha all the time without notice when I lived in Japan.

Peace,

TK

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