“The concept of Zen is to recapture naturalness, to do things without too much rationalization; to let the natural self dictate actions. The natural mind is uncalculating, devoid of conscious contrivance. Zen is about entering the rhythm and flow of the universe.” — Jackson Morisawa

Jackson S. Morisawa (1921-2013) was a gifted artist, a member of the storied 442nd and the founder of Chozen-ji Ryu, the temple’s school of kyudo (Way of the Bow).

Chozen-ji Ryu was a new school of kyudo explicitly combining the principles of Chozen-ji Zen with training in kyudo. Eschewing competitive shooting and ranking, Chozen-ji Ryu views kyudo as compliment to Zen training and a means of understanding one’s true nature. The principles of Chozen-ji Ryu kyudo are delineated in Morisawa’s 1988 book, “The Secret of the Target”, for which Morisawa also drew all the illustrations.

A range of Morisawa’s original and reproduced works will be on display and for sale at ZEN KEN SHO. Using sumi-e Japanese ink wash, he created stunning works portraying nature, the samurai’s fighting spirit and intimate moments of island life drawing from Japanese tradition but with a distinctly Hawaiʻi feeling.