Pieper Toyama led Bon dancers in a moment of silence just before the last dance of the 2018 Jikoen Bon Dance. The post contains a video and a transcript of Pieper's words.

Due to the outbreak of World War II, all temples were closed except Jikoen. We lived some distance from Jikoen and Rev. Ernest Hunt would pick up my two sisters and me and a few others, and we headed for Jikoen.