Look to your right for a sturdy brick building with deep red window trim, an arched entryway, and a bright white balcony railing above the door-it's tucked beneath a tall tree and stands out from the modern towers around it.
Imagine, over a hundred years ago, the Portland Buddhist Church was alive with the buzz of families and children in kimonos, the scent of incense drifting into the street, and the gentle clatter of geta sandals as people gathered here every week. This place began in 1903, thanks to Reverend Shozui Wakabayashi, as a warm gathering spot for Portland’s growing Japanese American community-by 1910, there were over 500 members! But this peaceful harbor weathered an incredible storm during World War II, when the government forced Japanese Americans into prison camps. The halls you see in front of you once cradled the belongings of families desperately hoping to return after the war. One brave leader, Rinban Tansai Terakawa, was taken away with his congregation to Minidoka camp, where he sadly passed away in 1944, never to return. Yet, against all odds, Reverend Hojun Sugimoto brought everyone together again, picking up the pieces and rebuilding broken lives. The laughter, tears, and hope lingered here for over half a century, until the community finally moved to a new home in 1966. Today, this building stands quietly, but if you listen closely, you might still hear the echoes of resilience and friendship-along with the distant sound of someone trying to fold a perfect origami crane for the fiftieth time!
