Masami Hayashi

Masami Hayashi, 94, passed away on September 30, 2017 in Salt Lake City Utah.  He was born on July 15, 1923 in Denver, Colorado to Jinyemon and Orito Kihara Hayashi.  Masami grew up in Ft. Lupton, Colorado where he and his family were part of a close-knit community. He often spoke fondly of his memories working in the fields with his friends and of his father’s restaurant, the Columbine Café. He had a deep appreciation for the community and for the Ft. Lupton Buddhist Temple who allowed his family to live in the temple when they found themselves homeless during the Great Depression.  In March of 1937, Rev. Tamai led a group of 16 students from Colorado and Nebraska to Japan for two years.  Masami deeply enjoyed the life-changing experience and felt the opportunity was the best education he could have on Japan by learning the language, history, geography, soroban (abacus), Japanese calligraphy, Japanese ethics, Sutra chanting, Japanese classical singing, judo and kendo; touring every week-end in Tokyo and visiting neighboring prefectures; and taking three-week trips through over half of Japan during the first summer and Korea and Manchuria during the second summer.
When World War II broke out, Masami attempted to enlist in the Air Force, but was classified as ‘4-F’ – enemy alien.  After the military eased its restrictions and allowed Japanese-Americans to, his knowledge of Japanese and English earned him assignment to the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) where he was assigned to the Prosecution Team for the War Crimes Trials in Manilla. After the war, he attended the Colorado School of Mines where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering. After moving to Salt Lake City, Masami began work with the US Bureau of Mines where he stayed until his retirement in 1984, while also earning his Master’s Degree in Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Utah.  In Salt Lake City, he met his wife, Ritsuko Fujii. He was profoundly devoted to Ritsie and was drawn to her because of her intelligence, education, and her experience of having lived in Japan.  She conversed with him into many late nights, providing him insight and feedback on the content of the myriad of his academic papers and sermons. He deeply missed her when she passed away in 2011.
Masami flourished in his retirement, with a never-ending desire to continue learning.  He attended the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkley, California for two years and earned his Master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies in 1991 at the age of 68.  He also picked up the study of Japanese Calligraphy, or “shodo.”  Many people enjoyed demonstrations of his artwork at the Living Traditions Festival, Salt Lake Buddhist Temple Obon and Food Bazaar, Nihon Matsuri, Asian Festival and many other places, including school classrooms.  He deeply enjoyed his students, not just teaching them, but what he learned from them about their area of interests outside of shodo.   He attained the highest rank attainable in both schools of calligraphy.  In Beikoku Shodo Kenkyukai he attained the rank of Shihan in kana and kanji.  In Nihon Shuji (based in Kyoto), he attained 5th Dan in kanji, kana, and pen shuji.  He also attained the highest level in sumi-e, Bo-in (the creative level).   He entered the Sankei International Shodo Exhibition and qualified for several years in their world exhibition held in Tokyo.
In 2003, at the age of 80, he was finally able to pursue his long-time aspiration of becoming a Jodo-Shinshu Buddhist Minister by going to Japan for Tokudo Ordination. In 2008, he received Kyoshi Ordination.
In 2011, he was fortunate to travel to Washington DC along with other Nisei Veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Battalion, and the MIS to be presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor by the US Congress.   In his ministerial capacity, he often had opportunities to give invocations at Memorial Day and Veterans Day events, at the Utah Legislature, and even for the opening of the movie, “American Pastime.’ Besides his devotion to the teachings of the Buddha and shodo, he enjoyed golfing and swimming at the YMCA. Masami took up the piano after retirement, and began taking the ukulele in his late 80s.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ritsuko Hayashi.  Surviving family includes son, Keith; son, Herbert (Kristen Keefe); and daughter, Sherrie (Mark Masters), and grandchildren, Stuart Hayashi, Seiji Hayashi, Ellen Hayashi, and Miye Masters.
Please join us for a Memorial Service on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, 211 West 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT.  Family visitation will be held prior to the service from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Temple.
Service Information

Memorial Service
October 28, 2017 at 10:30 am
Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, 211 West 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT