Lahaina Jodo Mission
In 1868, the first Japanese immigrants were brought to the shores of Maui to work in the sugar plantation fields. They brought with them their Buddhist religion as well and eventually erected a temple in which to worship in Lahaina. This site became home to the Lahaina Jodo Mission which you can still visit today. Although the original, wooden temple burned down, the people of Lahaina rebuilt the temple in 1968 and expanded the facility to include a 90 foot tall Pagoda, and a 12 foot high statue of Buddha. This statue, cast of copper and bronze and weighting around 3 1/2 tons was imported from Japan and is the largest statue of Buddha in the world outside of Japan. The mission was remodeled to celebrate the Centennial of the Japanese immigration to the Hawaiian Islands. Located north of town off Front Street near the Mala Wharf, you can find the Lahaina Jodo Mission at 12 Ala Moana Street. While entry into the buildings is not allowed, it is free to walk around the peaceful and beautiful grounds and admire the unique Japanese architecture.
Statue of Buddah at the Lahaina Jodo Mission
