Rev. Harry Gyokyo Bridge spent various parts of his youth in both Tokyo and the Boston area. He encountered Buddhism while in college, and although he had dreams of becoming a professional musician, he instead found his way into the Buddhist ministry. He received Masters Degrees from both the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California and Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan. Rev. Bridge served as the resident minister of the Buddhist Church of Lodi for two and a half years, and was assigned to the Buddhist Church of Oakland in January of 2009. Besides Buddhism, his interests include music and reading (mostly science fiction and fantasy).