The BWA extends heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Miki Tomita Okamoto, who served as the commemorative speaker for our 120th Anniversary Service. Dr. Tomita Okamoto is the Founder and CEO of Education Incubator, a Hawai’i-based nonprofit that empowers youth, educators, and communities to live with passion and purpose in service to a better world. Her message on education, community, and aloha deeply resonated with our members.
Born and raised on Maui, Dr. Tomita Okamoto is a Baldwin High School graduate and earned her B.S.E. in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and a Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University. She has worked for over 25 years in education as a teacher, administrator, curriculum developer, and researcher. Miki’s work centers on empowering young people and communities to transform challenges into opportunities, guided by compassion, cultural grounding, and aloha. For those who requested her presentation, slides are available at bit.ly/WHBWA120.
The Arc of Maui County was selected as this year’s recipient of the MUBWA Aloha Dana Award. The award was presented on August 29 to Executive Director Aspen Wallwork, joined by several Arc clients.
Congratulations to Rachel Takamiya, recipient of the 2025 BWA Scholarship. Rachel grew up surrounded by Buddhist traditions, attending Obon, taking Japanese language classes, and joining the Maui Minyo Kai dance group. These experiences deepened her connection to Buddhism and inspired her to become active in temple life. Rachel volunteered as a teacher assistant at WHM Preschool and encouraged her mother and sister to join the BWA. Now studying in Oregon, she attends the Oregon Buddhist Temple and plans to continue her Buddhist studies at Waseda University in spring 2026.
The BWA welcomes Sherri Quinn and Dr. Miki Tomita Okamoto as new members who joined in September.
Our General Membership Meeting was held on October 12, with reports, project updates, and planning for upcoming events. The 2025 Autumn Craft & Food Fair followed on October 18, featuring vendors from Maui, O’ahu, and temple affiliate organizations.
Finally, we wish a very Happy Birthday to our November members: Yoshiko Fujiwara, Janet Inamasu, Faith Tengan, and Misao Tengan.
Layered Manju
Courtesy of Gwen Hiraga
Ingredients:
2 cups butter
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
1 (21oz) can pie filling (apple, cherry, blueberry) or bean paste
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar. Add condensed milk and salt. Add flour slowly and mix well. Shape into a ball and cut in half. Place 1/2 of the dough in pan and spread evenly. Top dough with pie or bean paste filling. Top filling with remaining dough, pat gently. Brush egg on top of dough. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool completely before cutting. Serves 24.
Click Here to view all the recipes.