Memorial service to honor WWII deaths

The Jikoen Hongwaji Buddhist Temple will hold an Irei No Hi Memorial Service on Sunday to honor victims of all wars, particularly the American and Japanese soldiers, and Okinawan civilians, who lost their lives during a World War II battle 73 years ago.

Over 240,000 lives were lost in Battle of Okinawa, half of them residents, in the last and bloodiest conflict of the war from April through June 1945.

“Irei no hi” means “the day to console the dead.” The Rev. Shindo Nishiyama will offer a Buddhist chant.

Aiko Yamashiro, a local Okinawan poet who teaches literature at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Delaina Thomas, a poet from the University of California, Irvine, will share their poetry. Jikoen members Pete Doktor and Chantel Ikehara will accompany Shelby Oshiro in dancing a hula to an Okinawan favorite, “Hana.”

Lisa Grandinetti, a nisei Okinawan who grew up in Mili­lani, was a member of the Hawaii delegation from Women’s Voices Women Speak that visited Okinawa for last year’s memorial event. She will share how the trip transformed their understanding of peace.

The program is at 9 a.m. at 1731 N. School St.

For information, contact 845-3422 or dok@riseup.ne. Other sponsors include the Hawai‘i Okinawa Alliance and Women’s Voice Women Speak.