The Mountain View Buddhist Temple community is made up of people of various backgrounds and ages. Our Sangha is composed of followers of Jodo Shinshu teachings, with spiritual leadership provided by our resident minister, Rev. Yushi Mukojima. Sangha members come from all over the Bay Area and beyond and are organized into zones led by Zone Chairs. We are also home to affiliated organizations such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts; Nakayoshi Gakko, a summer program; and Jun Daiko, our resident taiko group. Organizational leadership for our community is provided by our Board that consists of our Cabinet, Zone Chairs, and representatives from our affiliated organizations. 

Our Minister

Rev. Yushi Mukojima

Reverend Mukojima has been the resident minister of the Mountain View Buddhist Temple since August 1, 2013. He began his career with the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) in November 2001 and was assigned as the resident minister to the Seabrook Buddhist Temple in New Jersey in March of 2002. One year later, he was transferred to Visalia Buddhist Temple in Central California, a farming community just south of Fresno. After a few years at Visalia, he was transferred to the Buddhist Temple of San Diego, his last assignment before joining us in Mountain View. 

Born in Osaka, Japan, and growing up in Fukui, Reverend Mukojima comes from a family rich in the Jodo Shinshu tradition. His father is the 19th generation head minister of the family temple in Fukui. Reverend Mukojima graduated from Ryukoku University in Japan where he received his bachelor’s degree in Buddhist history. He received his Tokuko ordination in August 1994, Kyoshi in September 1997, and Kaikyoshi in December 1998. Prior to his work in the United States, Reverend Mukojima served as a minister in the Buddhist Churches of South America from 1998 to 2001, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Reverend Mukojima and his wife, Mika, are proud parents of two school-aged children, Kurumi and Oji.

Minister’s Assistants

John Arima, Certified Minister’s Assistant

Devon Matsumoto, MVBT Minister’s Assistant

Toban Zones

At MVBT, our Temple membership is divided into 13 Toban Zones, where toban refers to “the ones on duty.” Zone 1 consists of members of the MVBT Board of Directors. Zones 2 – 13 are geographically based and constitute the 12 main zones of the Sangha. One member, or occasionally a small team of zone members, is identified to lead their zone as Zone Chair(s). Zone Chairs strengthen relations between their zone members and the Temple. They maintain connections with members of their zone and ensure that their zone members receive communications and materials from the Temple in a timely manner. As voting members of the MVBT Board of Directors, they represent their zone at Temple board meetings and ensure that their zone’s needs are heeded. While Zone Chairs provide leadership, zone members work together to accomplish much.

The organization of our Sangha into zones is critical to keep MVBT running smoothly. Monthly and annual responsibilities are distributed equally among zones. Monthly responsibilities rotate through each of the 12 zones so that once a year each zone is responsible for tasks such as providing refreshments for the month’s Board of Directors’ meeting, cleaning the hondo (usually on the last Monday of the month), and providing refreshments and hospitality after the Shotsuki Hoyo (monthly memorial service). Leadership for major annual events at MVBT similarly rotates through the 12 zones so that the responsibility for any major event is shouldered by each zone once every 12 years. Events included in this rotation are our chicken teriyaki fundraiser, Obon, Keiro-kai luncheon, Sangha Day picnic, and Mochitsuki. Naturally, the execution of major events takes the entire Sangha. Our Toban Zones ensure an equitable distribution of leadership and responsibility that reinforces our interdependence on and empathy for each other.

MVBT Board

Organizational leadership for MVBT is provided by our Cabinet and Board of Directors as defined in the by-laws of the Mountain View Buddhist Temple. The board is lead by a Board President, who serves a two-year term. As noted above, the Board includes Zone Chairs and representatives from each of our 12 Toban Zones, who are elected or appointed annually. Additionally, representatives from each of the organizations affiliated with the Temple are included in the MVBT Board. 

MVBT Cabinet

The Temple Cabinet is elected by the Board of Directors annually and currently consists of the following positions, filled by the Sangha members noted below. The Cabinet meets regularly on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm.

Zone Chairs

The following Zone Chairs provide leadership for Zones 2 – 13, our geographically-defined zones.

Affiliated Organizations

Representatives from each of the affiliated organizations who attend Board meetings as non-voting members are listed below.