In a jarring burst of violence at a longtime neighborhood fixture, a man caught on camera smashed a decades-old Ojizo-sama statue outside the Jodo Mission of Hawaii in Makiki on Tuesday, leaving the sacred figure in pieces and rattling nearby residents. The attack also damaged a parked vehicle and glass doors at a neighboring school. Temple leaders say the statue, regarded as a guardian of children, will be repaired, but the work is expected to run into the thousands of dollars.
Surveillance Footage Shows The Attack
Surveillance video shows the man walking up to the temple entrance and first trying to shove the statue. When that does not work, he picks up a cinder block, strikes off the statue’s head and then topples the rest before strolling off, leaving the shattered pieces behind. Witnesses told reporters the whole incident took less than five minutes, and the broken parts were quickly gathered, wrapped and set aside for eventual repair. Records show a 37-year-old man was taken in on two counts of criminal property damage and disorderly conduct, though Honolulu police have not yet confirmed a direct connection to this case, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Temple Leaders Call The Statue "Priceless"
Jodo Mission Bishop Kosen Ishikawa described the damage as heartbreaking and called the statue "priceless," a piece of the congregation’s history and tradition that cannot truly be replaced. The Ojizo-sama was first dedicated in 1987 and has been targeted before. In 2012, its left hand was cut off and repairs, which cost about $15,000, required sending the statue back to Japan for restoration. This time, temple leaders again say they want to restore the original statue rather than install a new one and are accepting donations and checks while a GoFundMe effort is being organized, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Neighbors And The Nearby School
The outburst did not just scar the temple grounds. A parked car’s window was smashed and glass doors at neighboring Hawaiian Mission Academy Ka Lama Iki were also damaged, with the school’s entrance reportedly blocked off after the incident. Neighbors said they watched the man walk up, strike the statue and leave within minutes. The school’s location and contact information are listed on its website, per Hawaiian Mission Academy.
Temple Seeks Help For Repairs
Jodo Mission leaders have reiterated that they hope to repair the Ojizo-sama instead of replacing it and are asking the community for help covering the restoration costs. The temple’s donation page outlines options for mailing checks to the Jodo Mission at its Makiki address and for volunteering time, according to the temple’s website. Staff are still assessing the extent of the damage, and the restoration timeline remains unclear, but leaders say they are committed to moving forward with repairs out of respect for the statue’s role in the community.
No one at the temple was injured during the incident, and leaders say they are grateful for that relief amid the destruction. Police continue to review footage and records as the investigation moves ahead.
