[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1178-E1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BUDDHIST CHURCH OF 
              SACRAMENTO HONGWANJI BETSUIN'S ANNUAL BAZAAR

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 6, 2016

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 70th 
anniversary of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento Hongwanji Betsuin's 
Annual Bazaar. As our community gathers to showcase and celebrate 
Japanese food and culture, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in 
honoring this remarkable festival.
  The Sacramento Buddhist Church is one of the oldest Jodo Shinshu 
Buddhist Churches in the continental United States and, as such, is one 
of Sacramento's richest cultural gems. In 1947, the church hosted its 
first bazaar in an effort to encourage strength and identity within the 
Japanese-American community. In its 70th year, the bazaar is now a 
treasured and highly-anticipated Sacramento summer festival. With 
attendance in the tens of thousands, the bazaar no longer attracts only 
the immediate community of the church's congregation, but serves to 
educate and engage the larger Sacramento community on Japanese culture.

[[Page E1179]]

Close to 700 volunteers come together to facilitate the bazaar, which 
funds scholarships, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, and the Dharma 
School supported by the church. The Sacramento Buddhist Church's Annual 
Bazaar has been invaluable to Sacramento in its promotion of cross-
cultural understanding and unity in Sacramento's diverse community.
  Mr. Speaker, as the community of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento 
Hongwanji Betsuin gathers to celebrate the 70th, anniversary of their 
Annual Bazaar, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring their 
commitment to preserving and sharing the rich traditions of Japanese 
culture with the wider community.

                          ____________________