Categories: In the News

Lava Flow Overtakes Pāhoa Japanese Cemetery

On Monday, October 27, a small, predominantly Buddhist cemetery in Pāhoa, Hawaii was overtaken by the relentless push of lava from Kilauea volcano.

“From a personal perspective, it was very saddening to see the flow cross over. At one point, we could see larger monuments protruding through the lava flow as it went through,” he said.

Members of the Pahoa area Japanese community association, known as Pahoa Kinjinkai, and other Buddhist groups gathered together several weeks ago to hold a special closing ceremony for the cemetery, which members said was at least 100 years old.

Pahoa resident Cary Tanoue, who was attending on Sunday afternoon a function at the Puna Hongwanji Mission, said that he believed he might have ancestors buried there, making the news of the lava flows passing through very troubling.

Read the full story: Lava Engulfs Cemetery

Share

Recent Posts

What’s It Like to Autopsy Marilyn Monroe?

The most famous coroner on earth may well be Dr. Thomas Tsunetomi Noguchi, who was…

1 year ago

Day of the Dead Takes on the World

The day after Halloween, and the day after that, is Day of the Dead, and…

1 year ago

Grieving for the Terrible Tragedy on Maui

Following on his recent posts regarding deaths by extreme heat, Justin Nobel shares his thoughts…

1 year ago

Death by Extreme Heat is a 21st Century Death

Few parts of the country have been spared from July's soaring temperatures. In fact, July…

1 year ago

Could tiny-brained humans have actually dug graves half a million years ago?

Deep inside a South African cave called Rising Star, scientists have made an incredible discovery—a…

2 years ago

Welcome to A Pacific Island Nation with 125 million people—and almost no gun deaths

Last week, in Nakano City, Japan, an evacuation center was opened in the gymnasium of…

2 years ago