Rev. Hozen Seki was a pioneering Buddhist minister who laid the foundation for Japanese American Buddhism on the East Coast. Born in Kagoshima, Japan, in 1904, he trained in the Jōdo Shinshū tradition at Ryukoku University before immigrating to the United States in 1930. After early ministerial work in Los Angeles and Arizona, he arrived in New York and founded the New York Buddhist Church in 1938—one of the first Buddhist temples on the East Coast.

Rev. Seki’s vision was bold. He sought to bring the teachings of Shinran Shonin into the American context, building a temple that served not only Japanese immigrants, but also second-generation Japanese Americans (Nisei), and eventually, a broader multicultural community. His efforts combined religious guidance with cultural preservation and education.

After the outbreak of World War II, Rev. Seki was arrested by the FBI and labeled an “enemy alien.” He spent over three years in internment camps, including Kooskia, Fort Meade, and Santa Fe. His incarceration left his wife, children, and the temple in a precarious position. Still, Mrs. Seki, Rev. Newton Ishiura, Mr. Stanley Okada, and other Sangha members kept the New York Buddhist Church open during wartime. Upon his release in 1946, Rev. Seki returned and began the long process of rebuilding both the community and the temple itself.

He remained undeterred in his commitment to American Buddhism. In 1948, he founded the American Buddhist Academy (later the American Buddhist Study Center), an educational and cultural organization that offered lectures, publications, and interfaith dialogue in English. He believed Buddhism could thrive in America if its teachings were made accessible and relevant.

In 1955, Rev. Seki installed a bronze statue of Shinran Shonin in front of the temple on Riverside Drive. The statue had survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and was gifted by Japanese businessman Seiichi Hirose as a symbol of peace. This statue became a powerful emblem of the postwar reconciliation efforts between Japan and the U.S., and a permanent reminder of Buddhist resilience.

Rev. Seki was also known for breaking with convention. In the 1970s, he ordained non-Japanese ministers and opened the temple’s doors to people of diverse backgrounds. Though considered a “renegade” by some within the traditional Buddhist establishment, his inclusive approach laid groundwork for the growth of American Buddhism in the decades that followed.

Rev. Hozen Seki retired in 1987 and passed away in 1991 in Maui, Hawai‘i. His legacy endures in the institutions he founded and the generations he inspired, especially his daughter, Hoshina Seki, who continues his path of compassionate, inclusive leadership.

Reference:

• Landmark West! “The New York Buddhist Church and the Statue That Survived Hiroshima.” Landmark West!, April 6, 2022. https://www.landmarkwest.org/new-york-buddhist-church-332-riverside-drive/

• American Buddhist Study Center. “About Us.”  https://ambuddhist.org/about/.