Seikan Higa

Seikan Higa (August 7, 1887 1985) was a Methodist minister who was active in Hawaii. He was the first Okinawan minister to practice there.

Early life Higa was born on August 7, 1887, as "Gashu Higa" in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. Higa entered Fukuoka Baptist School in 1909, then transferred to the Tokyo Baptist Theological Seminary in Koishikawa, Tokyo. He graduated in 1911 and returned to Okinawa, where he became a minister at the Okinawa Baptist Church. Higa and Iha Fuyū founded the Okinawa Union Church in 1916. He then founded the Tokyo Labor Church in Tokyo in 1919.

Hawaii Higa was asked to come to Hawaii to spread the gospel by Dr. Schwartz in 1921. Higa left two of his four children in Japan with his mother, and moved his family to Hawaii. He settled in Honolulu, and established the Palama Methodist Church. He was the first Okinawan minister to preach in Hawaii. He encouraged the coexistence of Buddhism and Christianity, and spoke out about social welfare issues, such as promoting birth control. His views meant that he sometimes clashed with fellow influential Okinawan Tetsuo Toyama. After visiting the mainland United States in 1924, he was inspired to start the Hawaii Reimei Kyokai (New Dawn Church).

After retirement, Higa wrote for Japanese newspapers and magazines, and continued public speaking.

Higa was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1968, on the same day that Tetsuo Toyama received the same award.

Higa died on July 3, 1985.