On November 18, 1903, Rev. Sokyo Ueoka, head minister of Tokujuan Soto Zen Temple in Honichi, Nuta Higashi Village, Toyota-gun (present day Mihara City) Hiroshima Prefecture received an assignment to become a visiting minister to Japanese Immigrants in Hawaii. Arriving in Honolulu on July 9, 1904 he built a temporary temple in the Aiea Plantation. From there he served the Japanese laborers who worked in the plantation as well as those on the other islands.

Upon the request of the Japanese residents in Maui, he relocated to Lower Paia on November 7, 1906 . This is when the history of the Mantokuji Mission of Paia officially began. Rev. Sokyo Ueoka’s wife, Tomiyo and son arrived from Japan in March 1906.

Rev. Ueoka had eleven children, Sokan, Robert, Fujie (Sakamoto), Noriyuki, Norman, Henry, Meyer, Clara (Sodetani), Marion (Watanabe), Sally (Yoshina) and Carol (Lau). After arriving in Paia, through the initiative of Sukesaburo Yamazaki, Kikujiro Soga and Unosuke Ogawa, he was able to lease a half acre of land for 15 years from the local Hawaiians. This site was adjacent to the present Paia Fire Station and behind the former Maui County Courthouse.

The construction of the temple began in March of 1907 with the founding ceremony officiated by Rev. Ryoun Kan of the Zenshuji Soto Zen Temple of Kauai. Rev. Kan is considered to be the honorary founder of Mantokuji with the title “Kanjyo Kaisan”, while Rev. Sokyo Ueoka is the official founder or “Kaisan” of Mantokuji. The official title of the temple given by the Head Temple in Japan is “Bachozan Mantokuji“.

In March 1909, to pray for the deceased soldiers of the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, a proposal to erect a Memorial Monument and a Bell Tower to honor the deceased was made. During this year, the headquarters in Japan sent Rev. Kaiseki Kodama to assist Rev. Ueoka because of the increasing work at the temple. Rev. Kodama was later transferred to the Kona area on the island of Hawaii in 1914.

On February 23, 1911, a cannon shellhead was donated by Commander Rokuro Yashiro of a Japanese Training Fleet and placed on the Memorial Monument.

Some time in 1912, a Japanese Training Fleet delivered the temple bell that we have today. In July of that year, through a loan from Kikujiro Soga, the present site was purchased and 3 acres of the 8.3 acre site were used for a Japanese cemetery. Mr. Soga became seriously ill in July 1914 and returned to Japan. He passed away the following year, unable to see the present Temple building. From November 21 to 23, services were held for the deceased and for the installation of the temple bell. In 1918, Giko Kanbara was transferred from the temporary Betsuin to Mantokuji.

On January 1919, the site was fully purchased and plans to move to the new site and remodel the temple began. Also, plans were made for the education of children who came from distant places. In March, the original chapel was moved and remodeled. It was used as the temporary Main Hall (Hondo) and minister’s residence.

The building of the present temple began in early 1921 under master builder Tomokiyo, and on July 21-23, a special dedication ceremony took place for the construction of the Main Hall and the installment of the Buddha image. The Archbishop of Soto Zen Buddhism in Japan, Sekizen Arai Zenji presided over the ceremony and he also wrote an inscription on the War Memorial Monument.