When Rev. Igarashi has a big funeral service he invites me to help. Ten minutes before the start of the service I light the candles on the altar and light the charcoal for the powdered incense offering. Then, two minutes before the scheduled start, I strike the church bell, starting slowly and then progressively faster and then progressively slower until I conclude with two quick strikes.

Today’s service was for Masanao Okamoto, the husband of Fusako. Mr. Okamoto is a former president of the church board. His wife is very active in the church. The two met in the Tule Lake internment camp during World War II and were married in 1947. The couple had been married 71 years when Mr. Okamoto died.

The photo above captures Rev. Igarashi in quiet contemplation prior to the service in a small room adjacent to the altar.

Each time I help out at a funeral, Rev. Igarashi tells me the same thing. He doesn’t like funerals. In the 30 years he has been the chief priest at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church he’s done a lot of funerals. More and more often now the services are for men and women whom he has worked with for many years.