San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin

The San Jose Hongwanji Buddhist Church was established in 1902 to bring together the growing community of new Japanese immigrants to the San Jose area. Designed after the Nishi Honganji Temples in Kyoto, Japan by architect George Shimamoto, the current building was built in 1937. During World War II, the building was used to store the belongings of more than 20 families who had been incarcerated.