Please Note: The WBWC venue has been changed to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort as of May 2025.
Welcome to the main page for news and updates relating to the 18th World Buddhist Women’s Convention to be held Sept. 11-12, 2027 in Honolulu!



Convention Theme & Music
“Live Peace, Live Aloha, Live as One in the Nembutsu”
Learn more about the origins of the convention theme and see translations in Japanese and Portuguese. Also, listen to the original song composed for the convention and download the audio file and music sheets to practice.
Logo and Posters
View and download vertical and horizontal versions of the convention logo and convention posters in English, Japanese, and Portuguese.
Registration
[A work in progress…] General information about the registration process and using CVENT, key registration deadlines, and notes on the 9/10/27 materials pickup and what else to bring.
Schedule / Convention Program
A listing of activities with times for September 10-12, 2027. Temple Tours – Group Visit Invitation; Group Application Guide (in three languages); Submit Group Application Form (one sheet)
Speakers
Names and photos of our two keynote speakers plus a note about panelists from the overseas districts.
Workshops
Workshops are one of the convention highlights. Find a listing of workshop options for Saturday and Sunday at the convention.
Entertainment
Look and see what the committee is offering for your sensual pleasure. (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). Enjoy!
Calendar Reminders
A timeline of key activities and deadlines leading up to the world convention.
Questions & Answers
A convention has many moving parts! As questions come up about travel, accommodation, activities, and other convention particulars, this page is one place you can go to find answers. Convention email address: wbwchawaii@honpahi.org
World Convention Updates
The World Representative meeting was held successfully at the Hawaii Betsuin. The group also visited the Hongwanji Mission School and the Pacific Buddhist Academy before moving to the new Convention venue, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. They will meet once again on Sept. 11, 2027 at the WBWC in Hawaii. Special thanks to these leaders for their hard work. Here are some photos of the group.

Front row: Yumi Suzuki (Hawaii), Claire Tamamoto (Hawaii), Yoshiko Umitani (Hawaii), Rev. Blayne Higa (Hawaii), Linda Nagai (Hawaii), Bishop Toshiyuki Umitani (Hawaii), Bishop Marvin Harada (BCA), Bishop Tatsuya Aoki (Canada), Rev. Hideaki Saito (Director in charge of BWA-Japan).
Attendees in person not in the picture were Rev. Yuika Hasebe (Interpreter-Hawaii), Rev. Eric Matsumoto (Interpreter-Hawaii). Attending via Zoom were Rev. Hiroki Yamashita (Japan), Maureen Hatanaka (Canada), Rev. Grant Ikuta (Canada), Myra Takasaki (Canada), Penny Atcheson (Hawaii), Bishop Mario Kajiwara (South America) and Kioko Nakasato (South America).

Standing: Rev. Eric Matsumoto, Tamayo Matsumoto, Sharon Nohara, Cindy Alm, Rev. Yuika Hasebe.
Sitting: Yumi Suzuki, Yoshiko Umitani, Bishop Toshiyuki Umitani, Linda Nagai, Rev. Blayne Higa, Claire Tamamoto
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The regularly scheduled World Buddhist Women’s Representative Meeting will convene on August 22-23, 2025 in Honolulu, HI. Reps from Japan, BCA, and Hawaii will meet in person. Hopefully reps from Canada and South American will join via zoom. Accommodations will be at the Ala Moana Hotel, while the meeting will be at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort (tour of facilities).
Besides receiving an update of the 18th WBWC scheduled for September 2027, the group will be treated “aloha style” with a dinner hosted by Bishop and Mrs. Umitani and tours planned to Iolani Palace and USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor. (Posted 7/25/25)
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As of May 2025, the venue for the 2027 WBWC has been changed from the Hawaii Convention Center (undergoing construction/maintenance) to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. This one-site hotel will provide room accommodations for all delegates also.