A Tribute to the many Donors

[These are the amazing responses to my call for support. They represent an incredible amount of love that continues to flow between me and many of the people listed here, even years later.]

This walk would be impossible without the help of my friends. The names of many of them are listed here (alphabetically). Please forgive me if I've forgotten anyone!

For "intangible" help, in the form of translation, information, inspiration, and encouragement:

• Mr. Garret Baquet
• Mr. Stuart Bowie
• Mr. Mark Devlin
• Ms. Yumi Ebisawa
• Ms. Reiko Nagae Foster
• Mr. Takeshi Kamimura
• Ms. Shie Kinoshita
• Mr. Simeon McNeill
• Ms. Yuka Takemura and Mr. Thomas Allan

For financial help at the following levels:

Special Mention

I have been surprised and pleased by the many gifts I have received.

Three especially stand out as being much higher than could be contained in any category:

• Mr. Kiyoshi Aki, CEO and Chairman, Aeon Corporation, Japan
• Mr. Kiyotada Umezawa
• Mr. and Mr. Robert Urich and Family

The Kannon Circle

Contributions of 3,300 yen or $33.00 (US) or more, representing the 33 manifestations of Kannon, the god/goddess of mercy

• Ms. Adele Baquet
• Mr. Paul Campo
• Mr. Hideki Hiyamuta
• Mr. Hideki Kitagawa
• Mr. Kazutoshi Kubo
• Ms. Marie Mason
• Ms. Naoko Mine
• Mr. and Mrs. Takabumi and Michiko Miyabayashi
• Mr. Toshio Nagai
• Ms. Miyuki Namiki
• Ms. Megumi Nishikibe
• Dr. Kazuaki Ono
• Mr. Adam Podell
• Ms. Megan Potter
• Mr. John Statler
• Mr. Landon P. Thorpe
• Mr. Hisaaki Uchibayashi
• Ms. Nobuko Yamazaki

The Tokaido Circle

Contributions of 5,300 yen or $53.00 (US) or more, representing the 53 post stations of the Tokaido

• Mr. Thomas Allan and Ms. Yuka Takemura
• Ms. Tressie Armstrong
• Ms. Kirsten Bell
• Mr. Yoichi Ehara+
• Mr. Masaya and Ms. Mayumi Fujimoto
• Ms. Chiho Fukuda
• Ms. Carol Hirayama
• Mr. Takeshi Kamimura
• Ms. Erina Koike
• Mr. Eric Leins+
• Mr. Antonio Macias
• Mr. Alec Markin
• Kenji, Yoko (Sano) and Ryunosuke Miyoshi
• Mr. Yoshihiko Nakakoji
• Ms. Mari Numanami
• Ms. Atsuko (Omura) and Mr. Shin Ito
• Ms. Satomi Terasaki
• Mr. Nobuhisa Tsukada
• The Rev. S. Mortimer Ward
• Mr. Makoto Yamaguchi, Ms. Eriko Uchiyama, and the BABY!
• Ms. Mari Yoshitomi

The Kobo Daishi Circle

Contributions of 8,800 yen or $88.00 (US) or more, representing the 88 temples of the Shikoku pilgrimage

• Mr. Rich Brewer+
• Mr. Ron and Ms. Reiko Nagae Foster+
• Mr. Yoshimori Hayashida
• Mr. Takuya Iida+
• Mr. Tetsuo and Ms. Tomoko Inoue
• Ms. Tamako Konda
• Mr. Michael and Ms. Dawn Kowalski
• Ms. Sachie Maruyama
• Mr. and Mrs. Yoshikazu Miyake+
• Ms. Junko Moriyama+
• Mr. Akihiko Murakami+
• Ms. Yumi Oda
• Ms. Keiko Saito+
• Ms. Masumi Sato+
• Ms. Sae Shintani
• Ms. Mary Ann Statler and family
• Mr. Tatsuo and Ms. Apple Tomeoka
• Ms. Chika Toyama
• Ms. Etsuko Tsugihara+
• Mr. Akihiko Ui+
• Ms. Atsuko Y.
• Ms. Naomi Yoshida
• Smoochy+

The Aki Meguri Circle

Contributions of 17,400 yen or $174.00 (US) or more, one gift for each of the three other circles

• Mr. Stuart Bowie
• Mr. Yasuo Ito+
• Mr. Haruo Isonuma+
• The Sakuma Family+
• Mr. Taro Yukimura

Other gifts

• Mr. George Carvalho
• Ms. Junko Himuro
• Ms. Rie Kimura
• Ms. Miwa Matsubara

I would also like to tell you about a very special gift. My dear friend Mikako Saito does beautiful shodo (Japanese calligraphy). She has written out one of the most important prayers in Japanese Buddhism, the Hannya Shingyo or "Heart Sutra." It is meant to be used as an omamori, a kind of amulet or lucky charm to be carried on one's person. I will carry it, and treasure it.

The "+" designates gifts well above the minimum for that category.