On June 7, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., when it was very sunny, Headminister Hashimoto from Konko Church held a sacred ceremony, Ground Breaking Ceremony, to the Group Home of Nikoniko. We hope that the home we are going to build from now on will be carried out safely and without accidents and that the residents who will live and receive services in this land will be blessed forever.
It was the first time for me to experience such a divine Shinto ritual, and I learned anew that there is harmony with nature in Japanese culture and that God always protects us. While saying that, I was too nervous about performing the Tamaguchi rite, and I don’t remember much of the ceremony.
Over the next 15 months, we will build a group home with only ten beds, which we have never seen in Canada. There is no way of treating our valued residents as just guests at home. They cook by themselves, grow vegetables and taste the joy of harvesting together. We will make a manjyu buns and dorayaki with residents. Nikoniko Group Home will be the place for them to live proactively.
We would like to express our gratitude that we have made it this far through the understanding and collaboration of our neighbours and the City of Burnaby. We will demonstrate new forms of care in Canada. We will do our best to build a place where elderly residents can laugh forever and feel pleased to be alive and age. Thank you for your continued strong support.