Bishop Noriaki Ito

Bishop Noriaki Ito was born as the first son of Rev. Horyu and Kazuko Ito in Kumamoto, Japan in September, 1948. He came to the United States with his family in April, 1955, settling in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles where his father was serving as Rinban (head minister) of the Los Angeles Higashi Honganji Betsuin (regional headquarters temple).

He received his elementary and secondary education in East Los Angeles, graduating from Roosevelt High School in January, 1967. In September of that year, he enrolled at Occidental College in Los Angeles. In June, 1971, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies with a minor in Asian Studies. Following his graduation, he moved to Kyoto, Japan in September, 1971 to enroll at Otani University. In December of that year, he received initial ordination at the Higashi Honganji headquarters. In March of 1975, he completed his studies, receiving a Master of Arts degree in Shin Buddhism.

Concurrently, he completed all of the requirements for full ordination, being given the title of Kyoshi (teaching priest). Leaving Kyoto, Noriaki departed on a three-month tour of India and other parts of Asia, the Middle East and Europe. With his orders from headquarters to serve as an overseas minister (Kaikyoshi), he began his duties as a full-time minister at the Higashi Honganji Los Angeles Buddhist Temple in September, 1975. In November, 1979, he took a leave of absence from the temple to undertake further language study in Tokyo, Japan.

He returned to Los Angeles in November, 1982 to resume his position as minister at the temple. In June, 1988, he was transferred to the West Covina Higashi Honganji to serve as resident minister. In November, 1993, in conjunction with the 90th Anniversary of the Higashi Honganji North America District, he returned to the Los Angeles Betsuin to assume the position of Rinban (head minister of a regional headquarters temple). On December 3, 2006, Rinban Ito was honored for 30 years of continuous service as a Higashi Honganji minister. In January, 2011, Rinban Ito was appointed Bishop of the Higashi Honganji North America District and will concurrently serve as Rinban of the Los Angeles Headquarters Temple.

In addition to his temple responsibilities, he is active in the following community organizations:

Los Angeles Buddhist Church Federation
Nikkei Interfaith Fellowship
Buddhist/Catholic Dialogue of Southern California
LAPD Clergy Forum
Japanese American Cultural and Community Center Board of Directors
Little Tokyo Towers Board of Directors
the Koreisha Chushoku-kai (Nutrition Program for the Elderly) Advisory Council
and as the current chair of the Little Tokyo Community Council

He also serves as the Buddhist advisor at Occidental College. Rev. Ito currently resides in La Crescenta, California. He is married and has three children.

Reverend Nobuko Miyoshi

Reverend Nobuko Miyoshi has served at the Higashi Honganji Betsuin since 2004. Reverend Miyoshi was born in Toyama, Japan, into a ministerial family, with both her parents having served as ministers in Japan for many years, as well as her brother, who is also currently serving as a minister in Japan.

In 1997, she received her Masters of Arts degree from Shizuoka University in Japan. Continuation of her studies at Otani University led to her First Ordination(Tokudo status) and Full Ordination(Kyoshi Status) in 2000. In 2001, Reverend Miyoshi came to the United States to study at the Institute of Buddhist Studies(IBS) in Berkeley.

In late 2001, Reverend Miyoshi was introduced to Rinban Noriaki Ito, which led to her addition to the Higashi Honganji Betsuin office staff to assist during school breaks. In 2004, Reverend Miyoshi graduated from IBS with a Masters degree in Religious Studies, then began her career at the Betsuin. In 2008, she returned to Japan to train at the Higashi Honganji headquarters in Kyoto to receive her Kaikyoshi(Overseas Status) and is currently working as a full-time minister at the Betsuin.