Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple

Seattle Buddhist Church (2007)

Temple members line up for bell ringing (joyanokane [ja] (除夜の鐘)) on New Year's Eve 2022

Earlier building four blocks west at 1020 South Main Street, photographed circa 1914

Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple (built 1940–41) is a Japanese Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is a member of the Buddhist Churches of America. Its original name is the Seattle Buddhist Church.[1]

Although it was designed by Japanese American Kichio Allen Arai,[1] the architect of record was Pierce A. Horrocks, because Arai lacked an architectural license.[2] It replaced an earlier building (built 1906–1908 by Saunders & Lawton) that was torn down as part of the Yesler Terrace project.[3]

The building is a designated Seattle landmark.[4] An arson fire on December 31, 2023, destroyed the temple's archives and damaged an altar.[5]

See also

• History of the Japanese in Seattle
• List of Buddhist temples in the United States

Notes

1. MacIntosh, Heather M. (November 3, 1998). "Arai, Kichio Allen (1901-1986)". HistoryLink.org.
2. Rash 2014, pp. 242–243.
3. Rash 2014, pp. 27–39, 242.
4. Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for S Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Individual Landmarks, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Seattle. Accessed December 28, 2007.
5. Kim, Greg (January 4, 2024). "Arson closes Seattle Buddhist temple, destroys century-old archives". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 4, 2024.

References

• Rash, David A. (2014). "Kichio Allen Arai". In Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl; Suttles, Wayne P (eds.). Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. ISBN 9780295993485. OCLC 856647647.

External links

• Official website

47°35′59″N 122°18′47″W