The Second Buddhist Church

The second Buddhist church building was situated where the Annex is now located. This building was established in 1908 as the “Independent Buddhist Church” when Reverend Hone Takahashi and certain church members seceded from the original Hongwanji church on Sixth Street. In 1917, they were reunited to form the Buddhist Church of San Jose. The second church building was used for the new combined church., In the 1930s, a gym was added next to the second church building. The present Buddhist temple, the Hondo, was constructed in 1937, and the second church building was then used for meetings, for classrooms, and for a Japanese language school., During World War II, church facilities were closed upon the evacuation of all Japanese-Americans. After the War ended, with the help of many groups and individuals the second church building and gym were opened as a hostel for returnees in April 1945., In the hostel, the returnees were faced with cramped quarters. Often, only blanket curtains separated families. During these trying times, the hostel provided a support system by which the people were able to receive assistance. Returnees helped each other find new homes and new jobs in order to rebuild their lives which were so tragically disrupted. During this time, 1,400 people were served. Although original provisions ended, the hostel was continued by the church until 1955., After many years of service, the second church building and gym were torn down in order to make way for the present Annex which was dedicated in 1958., some oral histories differ on the first location of the original church.