Blayne Nakasone (Class of 2014)
April 8th, 2021
PBA Alumnus Blayne Nakasone Begins Studying for his Masters in Kyoto, Japan
After graduating from PBA in 2014, Blayne Nakasone attended the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo to major in philosophy and Japanese studies. There, he performed with Puna Taiko, played sanshin with Nomura Ryu of Hilo, and danced with the Kin Ryo Sho group of Hilo. After graduating with a double bachelor’s degree, he moved to Kyoto, Japan.
In Kyoto, Blayne entered Chuo Bukkyo Gakuin. “At this seminary school, we learn as much as we can about Buddhism from the time of Shakyamuni Buddha to the founder of Jodo Shinshu, Shinran Shonin. We learned how to do rituals, chant, and perform services,” explained Blayne. This past spring, Blayne graduated from Chuo Bukkyo Gakuin as a second-year student.
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In terms of his career path now, Blayne has extended his academic plan to include another two years of study. As of April 1, Blayne is a master’s student in the School of Literature at Ryukoku University in Kyoto. He plans to major in Shinshu studies, which includes analyzing classical Japanese texts. Once he receives his master’s degree, Blayne plans to move back to Hawai‘i to fulfill his duties as a minister in the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
While well focused on the future, Blayne also commented on his past experience as a PBA student. “I enjoyed the various crazy projects that we had to do at PBA. We once had to build a catapult and run around campus using only Japanese for directions. I enjoyed it all so much more than I anticipated, and I appreciate all the great times I had at PBA while being exposed to Japanese culture.” PBA hopes to see Blayne return to Hawaii after his dedication to Shinshu studies in Kyoto.
