I began this blog with the lecture in December 2006, but before that, there was another important gathering—smaller in scale but deeply significant.
In July 2006, Akiko Yamakawa, known for her translations in the spiritual field, and Yurika Nozaki, a healing practitioner, visited Honolulu. Through a friend’s introduction, we planned a talk at the Gedatsu Church, which Rev. Yamada and his wife had been taking care of.
Both Ms. Yamakawa and Ms. Nozaki were warm and open, sharing many insights about spirituality. However, the most striking moment came during the sharing session that followed. For those of us who had never attended such gatherings before, it was both surprising and moving to see these respected figures openly and sincerely share their personal thoughts with us. We were deeply grateful for their honesty and generosity.
This gathering became the starting point for our next project. Inspired by the event, we asked ourselves, What should we do next? The answer took shape as a film screening in 2007: Gaia Symphony, a documentary directed by Jin Tatsumura. Over the next year, we formed a screening committee, and in October 2007, the film was shown in Hawaii.
Gaia Symphony is a documentary series that began in 1992. By that time, six films had been produced, all centered around a universal message: The Earth itself is a living organism, and we humans are a part of its life force.
For our screening, we selected Gaia Symphony No. 3, as it featured Nainoa Thompson, a renowned traditional Hawaiian navigator and key figure in Hawaiian cultural preservation. To support his organization, the Pacific Voyaging Society (PVS), and to raise funds for the screening, we organized a special reception on October 26 at Halekulani’s Hau Terrace. The event included a mini-talk session between director Jin Tatsumura and Nainoa Thompson, making the evening truly memorable.
Looking back, what started as a small but meaningful gathering led to a much larger event. The connections we made and the ideas we shared during that initial meeting paved the way for something far greater than we could have imagined.
