History of Ekoji Buddhist Temple
The Ekoji Buddhist Temple was founded in 1981 by Rev. Kenryu T. Tsuji and philanthropist Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata. The name Ekoji was chosen by the late Reverend Numata and means “The Temple of the Gift of Light.”
Ekoji Buddhist Temple is a member of the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA). In addition to overseeing temples throughout the U.S., the BCA administers the Buddhist Award program for the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Campfire Girls and is the only authorized organization to place Buddhist ministers as military chaplains. The BCA, in turn, is the U.S. representative of Nishi Hongwanji, located in Kyoto, Japan. Nishi Hongwanji is the headquarters of Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji, the largest of the Buddhist sects in Japan. The literal translation of Jodo Shinshu is the “True Pure Land Sect.”
