Wailuku Hongwanji Buddhist Temple warmly welcomes Rev. Tatsuo Muneto as guest speaker for the Eitaikyo Memorial Service on Sunday, November 9, at 9:00 a.m.
Eitaikyo, meaning “perpetual sutra chanting,” is a tradition in which sutras are recited in lasting tribute to departed loved ones. Families who enroll names in the Eitaikyo Book ensure that sutras are chanted in their memory for as long as the temple exists. These services, held twice annually, express enduring gratitude and connection.
Rev. Muneto, originally from Hiroshima, joined the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii in 1965 after completing Buddhist studies at Ryukoku University and training in Kyoto. He later earned a master’s degree in Asian Studies and Clinical Pastoral Education.
Over his 50-year ministry, he served at temples across Hawai‘i, including Hawaii Betsuin, Hilo Betsuin, Kona Hongwanji, Lihue Hongwanji, Moiliili Hongwanji, and the Buddhist Study Center. Though retired since 2014, he continues to support Buddhist education, training, counseling, and hospital chaplaincy.
Rev. Muneto is the author of Dharma Treasures – Spiritual Insights from Hawaii’s Shin Buddhist Pioneers (1995), and with his wife Edna, enjoys travel to sacred Buddhist sites. They are proud parents of two daughters and grandparents of two grandsons