Miyako Bellizzi has evolved from dancing in the Bon Odori circle at the Buddhist Temple of Alameda’s Obon to walking the red carpet as an Oscar nominee in Hollywood. Earlier this year, the former Jr. YBA member was a first-time nominee for an Academy Award in the Best Costume Design category for the critically acclaimed film “Marty Supreme,” starring Timothee Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow. The Oscar went to Kate Hawley for “Frankenstein.” Even months after the ceremony, Belizzi said she was...

Sangha Members Call Beloved Minister a ‘Pillar in Community’ and ‘the People’s Rinban’ at Retirement Party Nearly 500 people packed the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin annex building on Nov. 1, 2025, to thank Rinban Rev. Gerald Sakamoto and wish him a well-earned retirement. Rev. Sakamoto, who served an unprecedented 39 years as a Resident Minister with the San Jose Betsuin, the last seven as Rinban, and overall more than 50 years as a Jodo Shinshu minister, leaves a legacy of patience,...

FYI For more information on the San Jose Betsuin Dharma Center, please visit: bit.ly/3OztOp5 Construction is expected to begin soon for a $15 million project to replace the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin’s antiquated six-decade-old Education Building with a state-of-the-art facility that will expand space for temple programs and also serve the wider Japantown community. About 200 people attended a ceremonial groundbreaking on Dec. 7 at the end of the Bodhi Day service as then-Rinban Rev....