BCA Sends Five Students to Japan for YBICSE Program in 2025

Youth From Around the World Explore Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Culture, Heritage

The BCA sent five students to Japan in July to take part in the Young Buddhist International Cultural Study Exchange (YBICSE) program, which provides youth from around the world the opportunity to explore the historical and cultural heritage of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha tradition.  

The official program was held from July 2-8 and the BCA group extended its stay in Tokyo to do some sightseeing. In all, there were 17 students. In addition to the five from the BCA, there were two from Hawaii, five from Canada and five from Brazil.

The students gathered at the Hongwanji in Kyoto and participated in joint activities with Japanese youth and deepened their cultural and spiritual appreciation of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha tradition. 

The Hongwanji youth exchange includes tours of historical sites related to the history of the Hongwanji and the life of Shinran Shonin, as well as lectures on general and Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and the history of the Hongwanji. The group also visited the Hiroshima Peace Park and museum.

The Jodo Shinshu International Office (JSIO) is in charge of the YBICSE program. 

Following are reflections from four members of the 2025 YBICSE group — Travis Nakahira of the Orange County Buddhist Church, Izumi Ryan of the Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple, Lea Smith of the Buddhist Temple of Marin and Shigeo Yoshida of the Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. The Wheel of Dharma thanks Nakahira, Ryan, Smith and Yoshida for their submissions.

Travis Nakahira

“Over the summer, I took part in the Young Buddhist International Cultural Study Exchange (YBICSE) program. It was very informative and definitely an experience I will take with me as I start the next chapters of my life. 

“My main takeaway from this experience is that it gave me a lot of perspective in seeing what kinds of other people there are in the world. Going into it I did not really know what to expect, more accurately, I did not know what kind of people to expect to travel with. I had heard so many good things about this program from various adult members of my church who went on this trip as teenagers. I had been to Japan three times before, but those had always been family trips. The program mentioned we would be traveling with other people from different temple groups, not just BCA. These anxieties I had were pretty irrational because once I started traveling with the other kids from the BCA cohort we immediately got along pretty well. 

“One particular day of the trip that I can remember was when we were going to meet the students from the Kyoto Women's University. During this day, they mixed up all the cohort members and university students to have us all talk about differences in school lives. It was very fun simply discussing the many ways our school lives differ from one another, but also the many ways they are similar to one another. I think in that there is a very Buddhist sentiment, the idea that we are all, in essence, very similar, one Sangha. In a weird way, it made the world smaller to me, smaller in the sense that I feel more connected to people. I feel more confident approaching people because despite how I can have a life on the complete opposite end of the world as someone, we can still find things to connect on and speak about.

“I am incredibly grateful to have been given this opportunity and for all the people who made our experience in Japan so smooth. I would like to thank Rev. Candice Shibata for watching over all of us during our trip, Rev. Michael Endo for getting us acquainted with what to expect in Japan, Rev. Dr. Mutsumi Wondra for reviewing my initial application and allowing me to go on this trip, and of course my Mom and  Dad for encouraging me to even go on this life-changing experience in the first place.”

Izumi Ryan

“In early July, I had the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Young Buddhist International Study Exchange program (YBICSE) in Japan, which was an invaluable learning experience. 

“Through the program, I had the chance to meet other youth from the BCA, Canada, South America, Hawaii and Japan. Being able to meet other youth through this program was a truly special experience because I was reminded of how we are connected despite having different upbringings, cultures, experiences with Buddhism, time zones, ages or even languages through Buddhism.

“An interesting experience on this trip was seeing how culturally integrated Buddhism is in Japan. To elaborate, for the majority of the program, we stayed near the Nishi Hongwanji temple, where daily and brief morning services are held in comparison to the weekly services we have here.

“I feel that having such convenient access to hearing the teachings of the Dharma at the start of each day encouraged me to be more mindful and aware throughout the day. Yet, at the same time, it made me think why I don’t try more actively at home to try taking the time to reflect during the day. 

“Although I go to temple and Dharma School on Sundays, I find it difficult to think about Buddhism that actively the rest of the week.  However, this trip has made me more aware of how the teachings of Buddhism can be implemented in so many ways in daily life, such as in routine and ordinary actions like cleaning my room or taking walks to stay in the present. 

“Overall, the YBICSE program reminded me how I can find the teachings of the Buddha in everyday life and left me with a deeper appreciation for its community and teachings.” 

Lea Smith

“During the YBICSE program, I began to understand many parts of Jodo Shinshu that I’d never experienced while practicing in Mill Valley. 

“One of the first things I was shown on the trip was the correct mannerisms in Jodo Shinshu. Using these helped me act respectfully. I always had helpful people who answered my questions. I also had the opportunity to be taught about the history of Japan along with Jodo Shinshu’s history. This included depressing histories like the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but we also learned beautiful and happy things like the temples being built. 

“During this program, I felt closer to the Sangha than ever before. The friends I made, I still talk to. It was wonderful to share such a profound experience with kind friends. I am immensely grateful to everyone who made this trip happen. Thank you!”

Shigeo Yoshida

“The YBICSE program granted me a unique experience to visit historic Buddhist sites and allowed me to meet with people similar to my age that have also been influenced by Buddhism. 

“I particularly enjoyed the more social events of the program such as the exchange event held at the Kyoto Women’s University. Events such as these allowed me to practice my Japanese and share experiences and interests with others. 

“Another aspect of the trip that I enjoyed was the tour of Nishi Honganji. I particularly enjoyed this tour due to my liking of history. The rooms we visited were used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Azuchi Momoyama period (1568–1600) and included raised platforms and optical illusions to make himself look bigger than he actually was. 

“Overall, I enjoyed the program immensely and would recommend it to other people as well.”