Thank you for starting your year with a visit to Koboji Shingon Mission!
We welcome you to offer your prayers of appreciation for the countless blessings that we have received from Kobo Daishi's healing and compassion.

New Year's Schedule & Information

Information is subject to change. Please check back before your visit.

Midnight Service (Shusho-e) on December 31

• Tuesday, December 31, 2024: 11:30pm - 12:30am

New Years Blessings will be held from January 1 to 3
No reservations are required for blessings during the following times. All are welcome to enter the temple hall and to offer prayers.

• Wednesday, January 1, 2025: 12:30am - 4am
• Wednesday, January 1, 2025: 6am - 2pm
• Thursday, January 2, 2025: 6am - 2pm
• Friday, January 3, 2025: 6am - 2pm​

Opening Service with Goma Fire Rite

• Sunday, January 5, 2025: 9:00am
  Everyone attending this service will receive a special blessing and participate in the Goma Fire Rite. Attendees can receive a wooden prayer stick called goma-gi for their prayer request. Requests will be prayed for during the Goma Fire Rite. Please arrive early to collect your goma-gi​ and prepare for the service.

What to Expect

1. Ample free parking is available in Koboji's parking lot, which can be accessed from Lo'i Kalo Lane. Lo'i Kalo Lane is immediately east (Diamond Head side) of Mexico Restaurant on School Street. Pedestrian access is available from School Street.
2. Proceed to the choba (reception desk) once you arrive at the temple. A friendly volunteer will welcome you and provide you with a form to request house omamori. These special omamori will be ready for your pickup following the blessing.
3. ​Purify yourself at the ritual wash basin and offer senko and osaisen to the deities downstairs then proceed to the temple hall upstairs. You may leave your shoes on during public blessings, but please remove your hats before entering the temple hall.
4. A minister will greet you for your individual New Year's blessing. Please place your hands together in prayer and bow your heads while the priest uses Shingon sutras and ritual implements in the kaji blessing that unifies you with the universal wisdom and energies.
5. Following the short blessing, you may proceed to the downstairs hall to receive your omamori, house ofuda, omikuji, and ema.

​Please inform the choba volunteers if you or someone in your party cannot climb the temple steps. A minister will be happy to perform a blessing downstairs.

New Year's Blessing at Koboji with Shingon sutras and ritual implements

Omamori

Omamori will be available downstairs at Koboji from January 1-3, with a special layout designed to make it easy for members to find the perfect omamori for the new year. We encourage everyone to visit during this time to receive these blessed charms, which carry wishes for health, safety, or prosperity.
These omamori are available year-round in the hondo, so you’re always welcome to come by the temple to receive them. For 2025, Reverend Yanagihara traveled to Koyasan to thoughtfully select new omamori based on what he felt our members need most. Each charm is blessed in a long prayer on December 31, instilling them with protection and positive energy.
Some of the new omamori are available in limited quantities, so be sure to come early to explore and choose one that resonates with your hopes and intentions for the year ahead.

Personal Hoshi Omamori
Personalized omamori may be requested until January 19.  These annual omamori are refreshed each year based on the position of the stars according to nine heavenly stars in Shingon Buddhist astrology.  Forms are available online, and additional forms will be available at Koboji during the New Year's period.
These personalized omamori are carefully handwritten by Rev. Yanagihara with the requestor's name, age, zodiac, and star. The omamori are then blessed in the goma fire of the Hoshi Matsuri (Star Festival) service held in February. Because these omamori must be blessed in the fire, they are not available for pickup or mail until after the Hoshi Matsuri (Star Festival) service.

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Private New Year Blessings

Private New Year blessings are available for individuals and families beginning January 4 until the end of February. Private New Year blessings are generally scheduled for 30 minutes. During the short service, the minister recites specific mantras and prayers according to the individuals in attendance.  Private New Year blessings for individuals or families may be requested by calling the office at 808-841-7033 or email [email protected]. Due to the high volume of requests, online scheduling is not available at this time.
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Regular blessings and consultations are still offered during the New Year period. Please contact the temple office if you have any questions. If you have a recurring appointment, please call the temple to confirm.

Volunteers

The first visit to the temple in the New Year is a tradition for many local families. If you would like to volunteer your time to make this a memorable experience for our many guests, please contact Rev. Bryan in the temple office. There are indoor and outdoor volunteer opportunities, including:

• Parking and Access Control
• Choba and Check In
• Omamori Distribution and Preparation
• Ministers' Greeters and Assistants