The HUOA recognized 45 individuals as “Uchinanchu of the Year” at its installation/”Uchinanchu of the Year” banquet on Jan. 17 at the Hawaii Okinawa Center. Honored were:

• Aza Gushikawa Doshi Kai: Ruth and Wayne Okubo;
• Aza Yogi Doshi Kai: Myles Nakasone;
• Bito Doshi Kai: Toshiko Nakasone;
• Chatan-Kadena Chojin Kai: Takeo and Sachiko Teruya;
• Club Motobu: Calvin and June Nakama;
• Gaza Yonagusuku Doshi Kai: Stanford Shiroma;
• Ginowan Shijin Kai: Shigemasa Tamanaha;
• Ginoza Sonjin Kai: Haruko Shimabukuro;
• Gushichan Sonjin Kai: Kumiko Yabe-Domingo;
• Gushikawa Shijin Kai: Kenneth Kamiya;
• Haebaru Club: Sally Arakaki;
• Haneji Club: Nobuko Kida;
• Hawaii Sashiki-Chinen Doshi Kai: Kiyo Itokazu;
• Hawaii Shuri-Naha Club: David Aka;
• Hui Alu, Inc.: Reid Hashisaka;
• Hui Makaala: Gale Arakaki Taira;
• Hui O Laulima: Mildred Tina Kaneshiro;
• Hui Okinawa: Taryn Hamamoto Yogi;
• Itoman Shijin Kai: Bert Uehara;
• Kin Chojin Kai: Carol Ginoza Chun;
• Kitanakagusuku Sonjin Kai: Ronald T. Oshiro;
• Kohala Okinawa Kenjin Kai: Jean Matsuda;
• Kuba Rosei Kai: Roy and Kristin Higa;
• Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai: Janet Miyahira;
• Nago Club: Sarina Udd;
• Nakagusuku Sonjin Kai: Harriet Kobashigawa and Sumiko Asato;
• Nishihara Chojin Kai: Lillian Hamasaki;
• Okinawa City-Goeku Son: George Shimabuku;
• Okinawan Genealogical Society of Hawaii: Louise Tamashiro;
• Oroku Azajin Club: Seikichi “Chick” Takara;
• Osato Doshi Kai: Florence Furuto;
• Tamagusuku Club: Keiji and Amy Tsuhako;
• Tomigusuku Sonjin Kai: Tammy Namihira;
• Urasoe Shijin Kai: Yoshiko Oshiro;
• Wahiawa Okinawa Kyoyu Kai: Charijean Watanabe;
• Yomitan Club: Laura Ajimine and Gary Jitchaku;
• Yonashiro Chojin Kai: Konrad Ikei; and
• Young Okinawans of Hawaii: Dawn Ikei.

Blake Oshiro has been named Director Of Counsel for the Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing law firm, practicing in the area of government relations. Oshiro, a former state representative from the ‘Aiea area, is rejoining the firm after having served three years as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, where he was one of the governor’s senior political advisors and the lead advocate on public policy, budgetary and legislative issues. In that capacity, Oshiro worked closely with all branches of state government, along with county and federal officials and agencies.

Prior to joining the governor’s cabinet, Oshiro was the majority leader for the state House of Representatives, a position he held for more than a decade.

“I look forward to using my experience and networks in the state government, coupled with my knowledge of the law, to help clients develop strategies that work consistent with state policies so that in collaboration with policy decision-makers, we move forward as a community,” Oshiro said.

His areas of practice also include commercial litigation, employment law, government contracts, entity formation, and governance and environmental law. Oshiro earned his JD from the University of Hawai‘i’s William S. Richardson School of Law, where he also earned an environmental law certificate. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. Additionally, Oshiro received a Harvard University Kennedy School Executive Leaders Fellowship in 2011 and the Hawai‘i State Bar Association’s Champion for Social Justice Award in 2010.

A kencha shiki (formal offertory of tea) was the highlight of the Omotesenke Domonkai Hawaii’s 60th anniversary celebration, which was held Feb. 20 and 21 in Honolulu. The kencha was offered by Yuyusai Soin Sen, wakasosho (young master) of Omotesenke and son of the current Grand Master, Sosa Sen. He was assisted in the ceremony by hanto Nobuyuki Mikimachi, vice chairman of the board of directors for Omotesenke Domonkai.

The kencha shiki ceremony, which was held Feb. 20 at the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Homage was paid to those who died in the war and to pray for world peace.

Among those in attendance were: Dr. Margaret Oda, president emerita of the Hawai‘i region; Dr. Nobuyuki Miki, president of the Hawai‘i region; Toshiaki J. Doi Esq., president of the Northern California region; Makoto Miyazaki, president of the Southern California region; Dr. Ryuji Ueno, president of the Eastern region; Consul General Toyoei Shigeeda and Mrs. Michiko Shigeeda; Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Joshua Morse, head of school for the Pacific Buddhist Academy.

On Saturday evening, a dinner banquet was held at the Halekulani Hotel to recognize the 60th anniversary of Omotesenke Domonkai Hawaii, as well as the 45th anniversaries of both the Northern and Southern California regions and the fifth anniversary of the Eastern region.

The 25 Okinawan student participants in the 25th Hawai‘i-Okinawa Sister-State Student Exchange marked the milestone anniversary with a visit to the office of Gov. David Ige on March 12. During their two-week visit, the 10th and 11th graders from various high schools in Okinawa lived with host families on O‘ahu. They attended classes with the high school children of their host families and also joined them on family outings.

Leading the delegation this year was Masahiro Unten, councilor and third in command of the Okinawa Prefecture Department of Education. Tamotsu Miyagi, who coordinates the program for the Okinawa DOE, accompanied the students to Hawai‘i, along with two English teachers from Okinawa, Tadato Miyagawa and Chiaki Inamine.

Gov. Ige said he was especially pleased to welcome the group to the State Capitol as Hawai‘i’s — and America’s — first governor of Okinawan ancestry. He praised the students for having been selected for the exchange program. Ige said their visit was extra special because two state-related anniversaries are being observed this year: the 25th anniversary of the student exchange program between Hawai‘i and Okinawa, and the 30th anniversary of Hawai‘i’s sister-state ties with Okinawa. Ige told the students that Hawai‘i’s Okinawan community has made a conscious effort to perpetuate their culture.

Joining the group in the governor’s office were former Hawai‘i DOE superintendent Charles Toguchi, who served in the state Senate prior to being appointed superintendent, and former state Rep. Dennis Arakaki, who introduced the legislation creating the student exchange program. Among the bill’s co-sponsors in 1989 was then-state Rep. David Ige. The student exchange program was implemented during Toguchi’s tenure as superintendent.

The program is coordinated by the Hawaii United Okinawa Association, which was represented by 2015 president Mark Higa and executive director Jane Serikaku. For the first 20 years, the program was funded by the Hawai‘i’s sister-state program. When funding was cut five years ago, the HUOA decided that the exchange, which places the Okinawa students with families of all ethnicities, was too valuable a learning experience for both the Hawai‘i and Okinawan students and their families to terminate, so they decided to fund it on its own and with donations.

Former Sen. Toguchi, who is also a member of the HUOA’s Ginoza Club, raised $10,000 among his family, friends and business associates to help fund this year’s 25th anniversary program.
The students said their favorite Hawai‘i foods are poke and loco moco, and all nodded “yes” when asked whether they would like to visit Hawai‘i again.

The group was also recognized in both chambers of the Legislature. Additionally, they visited with Mayor Kirk Caldwell and were recognized by the Honolulu City Council.

Serikaku said the selection process was especially competitive this year, with 64 Okinawan students vying for the 25 slots available. The applicants were required to write an essay on what they hoped to learn from the experience that they could bring home to Okinawa.

Seventeen O‘ahu host families with high school-age children in 11 public and private schools opened their homes to the students this year. The participating were: ‘Aiea; Castle; Kalani; Mililani; Pearl City; Roosevelt; Hakipu‘u Learning Center, a public charter school; Damien Memorial; Hanalani; Hawaii Baptist Academy and Punahou.

In June, the Hawai‘i high school students will travel to Okinawa, where they will homestay with Okinawan families. Students who host the Okinawa students are given first priority for the Okinawa side of the exchange.

Serikaku said donations for the exchange program are welcome. Checks should be made payable to HUOA with “Student Exchange” on the notation line and mailed to HUOA, 94-587 Uke‘e St., Waipahu, HI 96797.

Twenty-three students from Matsuyama University in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture recently visited Honolulu, where they met with students from the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa as part of the TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars exchange program.

The program was created last year by the U.S.-Japan Council in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, who believed that the bilateral relationship between the United States and Japan was the most important in the world. The TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars exchange program is part of the council’s KAKEHASHI Project, a youth exchange between Japan, the United States and Canada that strives to increase interest in Japan.

Participants in the TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars program learn about Sen. Inouye and his contributions to Hawai‘i, the U.S., his heritage and the U.S.-Japan relationship. The U.S.-Japan Council was created in late 2008 by Sen. Inouye and other Japanese American leaders. His widow, Irene Hirano Inouye, serves as the council’s president.

University of Hawai‘i students, from left: Nalisha Arakaki, Stanley Chan, Sergey Russu, Nicole Mercado and Chelsie Takasaki, with Matsuyama University students Wataru Ishiki, Ryohei Nishioka and Miki Ozawa.

The TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars program is part of the TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership between USJC and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. The TOMODACHI (meaning “friend”) Initiative strives to cultivate a new generation of American and Japanese young people through cross-cultural educational exchanges and leadership development.

The TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars from Matsuyama spent 10 days in Hawai‘i, learning about the various institutions that Sen. Inouye impacted, such as the East-West Center and the University of Hawai‘i, making presentations and interacting with their Hawai‘i counterparts. It was the last stop of a packed itinerary that had taken them to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and finally, Honolulu.

On Feb. 9, the student-scholars from both UH and Matsuyama University visited the Ehime Maru Memorial at Kaka‘ako Waterfront Park. Visiting the memorial was especially meaningful for the Matsuyama students because it was erected in memory of nine people from Ehime Prefecture, where Matsuyama University is located. The nine were killed in the February 2001 collision between the Ehime Maru, an Uwajima Fisheries High School training ship, and the USS Greeneville, a nuclear-powered submarine off Oahu’s south shore.

Four of the Matsuyama students were born and raised in Ehime and were in elementary school when the accident occurred. After learning about the tragedy, they said they came to understand the importance of creating relationships based on peace. They said the Ehime Maru Memorial serves as a symbol of peace.

“We must remember how sad [the tragedy] was, how horrible it was, but the monument made a bridge between Japan and America/Hawai‘i,” said Matsuyama student Wataru Ishiki.

For the UH students, who visited Matsuyama University last year, the Ehime Maru Memorial symbolizes an ongoing relationship between Japan and Hawai‘i.

Chelsie Takasaki, who spoke on behalf of her fellow UH-Mänoa students, said memorials are usually associated “with sad feelings, feelings of hurt. I think what’s good about this [Ehime memorial] is that it is a continuous reminder that the people of Hawai‘i care about the people of Japan, of Ehime.”

Takasaki said the fact that volunteers clean the memorial on a regular basis and that the anniversary of the accident is commemorated annually “shows that we want to continue the relationship with Ehime and we want to foster friendship with them, despite the tragedy that happened.”

Ishiki said the trip gave the Matsuyama students an opportunity to see and experience the United States, firsthand, and to understand the lasting legacy of Sen. Inouye.

“It is because of him that we are able to visit [different] memorials, said Ishiki. “A lot of us didn’t know about America or memorials. I’m sure we can learn about the history and connection between Japan and Hawai‘i and, with TOMODACHI, can be a bridge between the peoples,” he said.

Toshi Shimizu of Pearl City was the first prize winner of Hawaii Hochi Ltd.’s 32nd “Name the Cherry Blossom Festival Queen” contest. Shimizu, who also won first prize last year, was one of two people who had perfect ballots. A perfect ballot correctly names the queen, first princess and two princesses. Shimizu’s prize was a trip for two to Las Vegas, courtesy of Vacations Hawaii.
Yumie Tamura of Honolulu, who happens to be Shimizu‘s mother-in-law, won second prize — a $250 gift certificate and a gift basket from Big Island Candies.

Jean Yoshihara of Honolulu, a former Cherry Blossom Festival contestant, won third prize — a family membership to the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i and a $100 gift certificate to its gift shop.

The winning ballots were selected at random by 63rd Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Kimberly Takata when she recently visited the Hawaii Hochi, Ltd. offices last month.
Hawaii Hochi, Ltd., would like to thank our contest sponsors for their continued support throughout the years.

First-prize winner Toshi Shimizu (left) with Kevin Kaneshiro, sales and promotions manager for Vacations Hawaii.

Third-prize winner Jean Yoshihara (left) with Carole Haya-
shino, president and executive director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i.

Malcolm Murasaki, Big Island Candies director of sales – business development with second-prize winner Yumie Tamura.

Four veterans of the World War II volunteer labor battalion known as the Varsity Victory Volunteers were honored by the University of Hawai‘i in a simple ceremony on Feb. 26. The event, which was organized and emceed by “Journey of Heroes” comic book author Stacey Hayashi, was held in front of a sculpture that the late Nisei artist Bumpei Akaji designed and dedicated to the VVV in the Queen Lili‘uokalani Center for Student Services on the UH’s Mänoa campus.

Of the approximately 170 University of Hawai‘i students who stepped forward to serve America with picks and shovels in the weeks following the Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor, only these four men and perhaps one or two others remain. The ceremony marked the 73rd anniversary of the men’s decision as UH students to serve America by doing backbreaking manual labor as volunteers and UH officials took the opportunity to thank them.

The four VVV, or “Triple-V,” veterans present were: Yoshiaki Fujitani, Takashi Kajihara, Akira Otani and Ted Tsukiyama.

On Dec. 7, 1941, they were student members of the Army ROTC, which was made up of about 500 male students, 75 percent of whom were of Japanese ancestry. They were issued Springfield .03 rifles and ordered to prepare to do battle with Japanese paratroopers who were rumored to be planning an invasion of the St. Louis Heights area. The invasion never materialized.

In the following days, the ROTC was converted into the Hawai‘i Territorial Guard. The young Nisei students were ordered to guard government buildings, vital utilities and the shorelines of Honolulu, among other tasks. Six weeks later, however, the HTG was disbanded — and then reorganized almost immediately, minus the Nisei, because they were Japanese.

The rejected students decided to petition the military governor, Gen. Delos C. Emmons, offering to serve in any capacity. Just over a month later, the men were approved to serve with the Army Engineers as a civilian federal civil service unit attached to the 34th Construction Engineers Regiment at Schofield Barracks. Officially, they were known as the Corps of Engineers Auxiliary, but were more commonly referred to as the Varsity Victory Volunteers. For the next 11 months, they built warehouses and portable field huts, constructed roads and bridges, dug up bomb shelters, strung up barbed wire fences and more.

When President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the formation of an all-Japanese American combat unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, most of the Triple-V members volunteered to serve, and were, in fact, the first to be accepted into the unit.

“It is a sad story and an inspirational story at the same time,” UH President David Lassner told the small gathering of current UH ROTC students and the families of the VVV veterans. Several widows and adult children of deceased Triple-V veterans attended the program. Lassner said the Varsity Victory Volunteers story is the kind of history “we all can learn from.”

A floral arrangement with seven torch ginger was placed at the foot of the VVV sculpture — seven flowers in memory of the seven Triple-V members who gave their lives in battle.

The Honolulu Hiroshima Kenjin Kai held its general membership meeting and shinnen enkai at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i’s Manoa Grand Ballroom on March 8. The event began with committee reports from the various chairs: Ehime Maru Memorial and Hiroshima Torii cleanup by Ken Saiki, summer picnic by Wayne Toma and the kenjin kai’s okonomiyaki sales at the JCCH New Year’s ‘Ohana Festival by Kevin Nakata. Sandra Ishihara-Shibata reported on the scholarship program and student exchange, which sends high school and college students to Hiroshima each summer.

Evan Takeuchi, who participated in the 2014 exchange, spoke about his experience. He said he and fellow Honolulu Hiroshima Kenjin Kai participants Kaylea Miyake and Kasey Kam visited, among other places, the Mazda Museum (and factory) and the Itsukushima Shrine, where Hiroshima’s iconic torii (shrine gate) is located just offshore. Takeuchi spoke of the new friendships he forged with Hiroshima students and families and the Hiroshima-style aloha they experienced. “I’d like to do the same for you all,” he told the Hiroshima students in the audience at the shinnen enkai.

Kenjin kai president Robert Nagao urged the members to encourage their children and grandchildren to apply for the exchange program. He noted that the Hiroshima Prefectural Government generously provides the air and ground transportation, meals and lodging. All the students have to bring is their own spending money.

The Hiroshima Goodwill Ambassadors — (from left) Riyo Sekimoto, Mayu Matsuoka and Nagisa Yoshida — entertained the kenjin members by singing “Hiroshima Kibun,” a cheery tune about the special feeling one gets in Hiroshima.

The shinnen enkai marked the conclusion of Nagao’s three-year term as president. He thanked the kenjin kai’s board for their support during his term, saying they “certainly made my job easier.” He also thanked the members for their continued support and participation in club activities and his wife Janette and family for their patience and support.

In reviewing the accomplishments during his term, Nagao said he was happy that the updated version of the kenjin kai’s by-laws had been adopted. He also initiated recognition of club members 90 and older. Six members were recognized this year: Beth Tsutsuse (age 90), Alice Masuda (92), Tatsukichi Kobayashi (93), Tetsuo Tsutsuse (94), Isamu Shibata (96) and Shizuo Yamada (97).

Also recognized for turning 80 years old was Barbara Sasahara. Nagao and committee chair Ken Saiki presented Sasahara with a certificate and a gift from the Hiroshima Prefectural Government.

Roy Amemiya, managing director for the City and County of Honolulu, installed the kenjin kai’s new officers and directors, led by incoming president Wayne Miyao. Supporting Miyao are immediate past president Robert Nagao; vice presidents Peter Kobayashi, Gregg Mueller and Darek Sato; secretaries Chiemi Okamura, Donna Masuda-Kam and Nancy Shimamoto; treasurers Kevin Nakata, Thomas Sakamoto and Sandra Ishihara-Shibata; auditors Dan Kinoshita, Richard Park III and Walter Saito; historian Brandon Saigusa; and advisors Thomas Agawa, Benjamin Fukumoto, Chojiro Kageura, Tatsukichi Kobayashi, Robert Nagao, Ken Saiki and Wayne Toma. They will be further supported by the kenjin kai’s board of directors.

In accepting the president’s gavel, Wayne Miyao said it was an honor to serve as president and to succeed Nagao in the position. This is a second go-around for Miyao as president. He previously served as the kenjin kai’s president in 2005. He said his passion for his Hiroshima roots and his interest in Hiroshima grows ever stronger with each passing year. Miyao encouraged the kenjin kai members to “continue to be Hawai‘i goodwill ambassadors of aloha,” especially when visiting Hiroshima, or hosting visitors from Hiroshima.

The Hiroshima Goodwill Ambassadors — (from left) Riyo Sekimoto, Mayu Matsuoka and Nagisa Yoshida — entertained the kenjin members by singing “Hiroshima Kibun,” a cheery tune about the special feeling one gets in Hiroshima.

Kampai toasts were offered by state Sen. Brian Taniguchi, whose family roots are in Hiroshima, and Nobuyoshi Tanada, executive director of the Hiroshima Convention & Visitors Bureau, who came to Hawai‘i to promote Hiroshima at the annual Honolulu Festival. Tanada prefaced his kampai by thanking the Honolulu Hiroshima Kenjin Kai for “sharing your aloha” in the aftermath of landslides last August in Hiroshima. The kenjin kai, in partnership with the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Hiroshima-Hawai‘i Sister-State Committee and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, raised over $21,000 in Hawai‘i to aid those affected by the landslides.

Joining Tanada for the Honolulu Festival were the Hiroshima Goodwill Ambassadors — Riyo Sekimoto, Mayu Matsuoka and Nagisa Yoshida — who sang the popular and lively song in praise of Hiroshima, “Hiroshima Kibun.”

The Honolulu Hiroshima Kenjin Kai has two major events planned for August. The annual summer picnic will be held Sunday, Aug. 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Area 9 at Ala Moana Beach Park. And, on Thursday, Aug. 6, the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima will be commemorated with a peace ceremony at the Izumo Taishakyo Mission at 11 a.m. The Hiroshima commemoration is open to the public.

The Hawaii Japanese Center in Hilo will host the exhibition, “Handcrafted Form: Traditions and Techniques,” featuring handcrafted objects from Japan. The exhibition, which runs from May 23 to June 27, is open to the public.

A brief welcoming ceremony will open the exhibit at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 23. It will be followed by a special presentation by three master artisans from Kyöto — Tamae Ueda, a specialist in yuzen (rice-paste dyeing), Shicen Kodama, who specializes in tsuzure ori (weaving) and Kazuyo Kawamoto, whose specialty is shibori (tie-dying). Each artist will give a short lecture and show their work. Kawamoto will also present a demonstration of shibori.

Beginning Tuesday, May 26, gallery hours will be Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A series of public programs featuring outstanding local artists will be held during this period. The featured artists are Clayton Amemiya (ceramics) on May 30, Glenn Yamanoha (woodblock) on June 6 and a two-day, hands-on workshop led by Ann Asakura (“new wave” kimono) on June 20 and 21.

“Handcrafted Form” is a project of the Japan Foundation and focuses on Japanese crafts made from traditional materials using traditional techniques that were developed and used in daily life. Each of these pieces has been officially designated as “traditional craft objects” by the government of Japan. In addition to these practical crafts, the exhibition also includes examples of creative works made by artisans using skills fostered within the environment of Japan’s traditional workshops.

In all, the exhibition includes nearly 100 pieces from seven categories: ceramics, textiles, metalwork, lacquerware, wood and bamboo, glass, and paper and stationery selected from workshops all over Japan. Renowned critic and art historian Kazuko Todate curated the exhibit. “Handcrafted Form” has attracted glowing reviews as it travels to art galleries and museums around the world. The Hawaii Japanese Center will be its only showing in Hawai‘i, following a showing in Seattle. From Hilo, it travels Santiago, Chile.

Consul General of Japan Toyoei Shigeeda is coordinating the Hawai‘i showing as well as arranging for the visit by the three master artisans. The Japan Foundation funded the production of the exhibit and its travel.

The not-for-profit Hawaii Japanese Center is located at 751 Kanoelehua Ave. in Hilo. Admission to “Handcrafted Form” is free, although donations are welcome. For more information, email contact@hawaiijapanesecenter.com or call (808) 934-9611 Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“442: A Legacy to Preserve” was the theme for the 442nd Veterans Club’s 72nd anniversary banquet, which was held March 29 at the Pacific Beach Hotel. Among the hundreds in attendance were 78 veterans who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II, and the son of one special veteran — Ken Inouye, son of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, who flew in from East Coast to attend the anniversary banquet.

Three descendants of 442 veterans — Angela Thompson, Eric Thompson and Ethan George — walked banquet attendees through history of the 442nd through the battle streamers the unit earned in Europe.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell offered a proclamation honoring the 442nd. “They stepped up and they put their lives on the line for us and changed our lives forever,” he said.

A delegation from the Peace and Freedom Trail Association from Bruyeres, France, led by Martial Hilaire, made a presentation to the 442nd. In the fall of 1944, the 100th/442nd liberated the towns of Bruyeres and Biffontaine in the Vosges mountain region of northeastern France from the Nazis. “How can we ever thank you,” Hilaire told the veterans. He said plans are in the works to build an educational and legacy museum in the Vosges to perpetuate the story of the 442nd.

The club presented its Kansha Award to 442nd member Ted Yanagihara, who was unable to attend the banquet due to health challenges. Yanagihara became a music teacher after the war and was the music director at Farrington High School. He also led the 442nd’s ‘ukulele, choral and hula clubs, and whenever the veterans sang their “Go For Broke” song at reunions and anniversary events, Yanagihara was always the man who kept them on key and singing in unison. Yanagihara’s wife Lovette accepted the award on behalf of her husband.

In his message, Gov. David Ige noted that over 14,000 Nisei served in World War II. He spoke briefly about his late father, Tokio Ige, who volunteered for the 442nd and became an early replacement to the casualty-plagued 100th Infantry Battalion. Ige noted that like so many of the Nisei who served, his father “rarely talked about his experiences.” He said that most of what he now knows about his father’s service in Europe was learned after his father’s passing.

Angela Thompson and Ethan George (at microphone) describe the various battles the 442nd RCT fought in while Eric Thompson holds up the various battle streamers.

Ige, who is Hawai‘i’s second governor of Japanese ancestry, noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and said it is “important to capture the stories.” He said he was a beneficiary of the veterans’ sacrifice. “I would not be here today. There is no doubt that they truly changed Hawai‘i and the world.”

Earlier in the program, Ige presented a proclamation to 442nd Veterans Club president William Thompson proclaiming March 28 as “442nd Regimental Combat Team Day.”

The program also featured the introduction of the first “Go For Broke” Award winners in judo —

8-year-old Asa Tadaki of the Mililani Hongwanji Judo Club and 10-year-old Caetlin Dias of the Makiki Seidokan.

University of Hawai‘i President Dr. David Lassner delivered the banquet’s keynote address. He noted that when 442nd veteran Dr. Fujio Matsuda was president of the University of Hawai‘i, he wanted to understand how computers were being used to change the field of teaching. It was that study that brought Lassner, then a graduate student at the University of Illinois to Hawai‘i, where, decades later, he is now the university’s president.

Lassner noted that just a month earlier, he welcomed former UH ROTC students and expelled Hawai‘i Territorial Guardsmen who volunteered for the Varsity Victory Volunteers following the outbreak of World War II back to the Mänoa campus. He said the impact of the Japanese American veterans who came back to Hawai‘i “became the backbone of democracy in Hawai‘i.”

Kristi Hirota-Schmidt, CMCA(R), AMS(R), has recently been named president of the West Oahu Economic Development Association (WOEDA). Hirota-Schmidt is senior vice president of business development of Associa Hawaii, an association management company.

WOEDA is a private, non-profit organization that was formed by local businesses and community leaders in 2001 to promote West O‘ahu. Its mission is to be a voice for growth and economic opportunity in West O‘ahu by engaging in advocacy, education, and networking.

Hirota-Schmidt joined Associa Hawaii’s business development division in 2006 and currently oversees sales and marketing for O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i, Läna‘i and the Big Island. She is the coordinator of all of Associa Hawaii’s advertising and community outreach efforts.

Hirota-Schmidt serves on the board for the Institute of Real Estate Management and Toastmasters International, is involved with the Rotary Club of West Honolulu and is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in educaiton from the University of Hawai‘i.

Members of the Sumie Society of Hawaii gathered at Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room on Lei Day (May 1) for their 13th annual post-exhibition luncheon and awards program. The exhibition, which was held April 20 to May 1 at Honolulu Hale, featured works by the students in society’s five clubs: Honpa Hongwanji, Makua Alii, Moiliili Community Center, Wahiawa and Hilo Hongwanji. The four O‘ahu classes are taught weekly by the society’s dedicated 88-year-old teacher, Sachie Saigusa.

The society was wrapping up its 13th exhibition at Honolulu Hale. Georgette Deemer, deputy managing director for the City and County of Honolulu, presented a certificate from the city. Deemer said the city is pleased to host the exhibition. She said she took time on her way home one evening to view the various works. “It made me feel calm and I enjoyed it so much,” she said. “It made my evening so much more pleasant,” Deemer added.

Saigusa-Sensei, presented certificates to two students: a beginner certificate to Mutsuko Narumi McConnell, and an instructor certificate to Amy Mihara.

Sensei said her students are her extended family. She noted with sadness the passing in the last year of three longtime students — Alpha Kaneko, Haruko Anamizu and David Higa, saying they were “excellent artists.”

Applications are being accepted for Hui O Laulima’s 2016 Cultural Grant program. All prospective grant projects/activities and expenditure of grant monies must take place during the 2016 calendar year (January-December). Applications are due by Aug. 31.

Hui O Laulima has been awarding grants and scholarships since 1984. To date, the organization has awarded more $152,000 for projects aimed at preserving, perpetuating and promoting Okinawan culture. In the spirit of laulima, Hawaiian for “giving a helping hand,” Hui O Laulima awards grants to individuals and groups with a same desire.

The criteria for selection include:
• Interest in the study, perpetuation and promotion, including goodwill projects, of Okinawan culture (music, dance, art or other forms of artistic expressions), language and history;
• Leadership ability;
• Community service;
• Acceptance to study under a recognized instructor of Okinawan culture, language and/or history;
• Participation in programs for the promotion and perpetuation of Okinawan culture;
• Financial need;
• Overall potential for success;
• Clarity of goal(s); and
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals other than relatives.
• Grant monies cannot be used to purchase costumes, equipment and/or supplies for personal use.
Please direct inquiries and/or requests for application to Karen Fuse, committee chair, at kcfuse@hawaii.rr.com or call (808) 735-4523.

The Japanese Women’s Society Foundation presented its Second Women’s Leadership Summit and 36th Fashion Show on March 27 and 28 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. “Health, Beauty & Well-Being” was the theme of the March 27 summit. First lady Dawn Amano-Ige was the keynote speaker. She shared her experiences as a wife, mother, educator and businesswoman.

Other speakers included endocrinologist Dr. Laurie Tom; fashion designer and hairstylist Kensei Takeda; Sulwhasoo Cosmetic representatives, who shared information on skincare basics; and Dr. Irene Arakaki of Reneux Med Spa.

A lunch-time panel titled “Food, Diet and Health” included participants Dean Okimoto (Nalo Farms), Paul Uyehara (Aloha Tofu) and Melanie Kosaka (First Daughter Mediaworks, Inc. and Cookspace Hawaii), who discussed overall well-being and trending health issues and concerns.

The JWSF summit weekend continued on Saturday, the 28th, with JWSF’s 36th Fashion Show. “East Meets West Fashion” was the theme of the show. Representing the “East” were designers from Incheon and Seoul, South Korea.

The “West” designer was Hawai‘i-based ‘Iolani Sportswear, which was started in 1953 by Keiji and Edith Kawakami, both of whom have since passed on. The company is now led by their son Lloyd Kawakami and his family. Another highlight of the fashion show was the informal modeling by CAbi (Carol Anderson by invitation), a direct sales clothing company, during lunch.

Deigo Club members knew that celebrating the new year in April was a bit late. Then again, club members didn’t know whether the club would still be in existence to celebrate the arrival of 2015. However, thanks to the dedication of Yasuko Arakawa, who agreed to serve as the club’s president — its first woman president — the Deigo Club will continue, for now.

Deigo Club members gathered at the Natsunoya Tea House on April 5 for their annual shinnen enkai. Afuso Ryu Gensei Kai Hawaii Shibu president Grant “Sandaa” Murata-Sensei was asked to offer greetings on behalf of the guests in attendance. He talked about the early history of the Deigo Club and emphasized the important role it has played in easing the transition to life in America for new arrivals from Okinawa.

In his outgoing president’s message, Stanley Oshiro said the club’s core group was concerned about who would lead the club. The situation was so dire that they even considered disbanding. Fortunately, Arakawa, an Okinawan koto sensei now retired from her bread-and-butter job, stepped up to serve as president.

Arakawa said she was worried about the Deigo Club’s future and discussed her concerns with fellow koto sensei, Sunny Tominaga, who also is a Deigo Club member. Arakawa urged the club members to share their ideas for activities or to improve the club with herself and the club’s officers and to support the club by participating.

Serving with Arakawa will be: Seiichi Yagi and Yoshimitsu Uehara, vice presidents; Sunny Tominaga, Japanese secretary; Haruko Itomura, assistant Japanese secretary; Elaine Sato, English secretary; and Setsuko Iho and Elsie Masako Nakama, treasurers.

The Deigo Club was established in 1949. It was initially made up of Hawai‘i-born Nisei who had spent their childhood years in Okinawa and returned to Hawai‘i as teens. In the ensuing years, however, the club came to be made up primarily of postwar immigrants from Okinawa who enjoyed getting together with Uchinanchu who had similar experiences. Because of that common bond, most of the day’s program was conducted in Japanese and Uchinaaguchi.

Kampai were offered by ikebana sensei Nobuko Kida and founding member Masaru Nakama.

The entertainment portion of the program featured Okinawan music and dances, as well as Okinawan and Japanese karaoke numbers.

Consul General of Japan Toyoei Shigeeda recognized University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa American Studies Professor Dr. Dennis Ogawa with a special commendation in a ceremony at the Consul General’s residence on April 23. The commendation recognized Ogawa for his efforts in enhancing the understanding of Japanese American history in Hawai‘i and for promoting goodwill between Hawai‘i, the United States and Japan.

Ogawa was introduced by his former student and longtime friend Carl Okimura, who spoke about Ogawa. Dennis Ogawa was born in Manzanar Relocation Center in Owens Valley, Calif., a year after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, ordering all West Coast Japanese Americans into American-style concentration camps. Okimura said Ogawa’s father worked outside of the camp, so he was raised primarily by his grandparents, from whom he learned both Japanese and American cultures and values.

Ogawa visited Hawai‘i for the first time during a break in his undergraduate studies at UCLA. In Hawai‘i, he worked as a gardener at a dormitory to earn his room and board. “The local people he interacted with befriended him and he was so touched by the aloha spirit that he decided to return one day to live permanently,” Okimura said.

Ogawa earned his Ph.D. in intercultural communications from UCLA in 1969 and moved to Hawai‘i, where helped establish the UH Ethnic Studies Program. He subsequently transferred to the American Studies Department, where he continues to teach. Ogawa’s two early publications, “Jan Ken Po” and “Kodomo no Tame Ni,” caught the interest of then-President Gerald Ford, who invited Ogawa to speak on ethnicity in America at the White House.

Okimura lauded his sensei for his devotion to the study of Japanese Americans and how multiethnic and multicultural peoples “can get along through the study of their histories.”

Ogawa thanked Consul General Shigeeda for the commendation and for all he has done for the community in Hawai‘i, including his help with the TOMODACHI program, of which Ogawa was involved. He dedicated the commendation to the Issei and older Nisei. “They taught me about their love for Japanese values, not only in words, but in their actions,” he said. The Issei also taught him that it was possible to love Japan, but to also love Hawai‘i, their adopted home.

Ogawa, who is also president of Nippon Golden Network, a subscriber-based Japanese cable station in Hawai‘i, said his career has allowed him to embrace his love for Japanese movies, particularly samurai movies, and their “precarious window into Japan.” “I cry when I watch the samurai movies because it brings back memories,” he said.

“I’m so proud that I was involved in a company called NGN, because it made the Issei so happy.”

He said one of his proudest accomplishments was being able to bring NHK’s live sumö broadcasts to Hawai‘i so that local residents could see their homegrown sumotori in action.

Duane Kurisu, founder and chairman of aio, the parent company of several publishing companies and other creative ventures, offered the kampai toast. He said Ogawa “only knows bridges and no boundaries between America and Japan.” Ogawa has “carved so many paths between Japan and Hawai‘i,” Kurisu said.

Sixteen ministers representing all sects of Buddhism and a number of Buddhist temples on O‘ahu held their annual memorial service in the chapel of the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl on May 18. The service is held each year prior to Memorial Day to remember the men and women who served in our country’s armed forces. This year’s service was organized by the Soto Zen sect. The service was open to the public. (Photo by Karen Kikukawa)

Members of the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation, their guests and residents of Kuakini Home gathered at Hale Pulama Mau auditorium on May 17 for JWSF’s 20th “Adopt-A-Mom” program. The event is held on the third Sunday of May (the Sunday after Mother’s Day) to allow residents who do not have any children or who do not have any children living nearby to still have a Mother’s Day celebration.

The day’s events began with JWSF members getting acquainted with their “mom” for the day before introducing them to the rest of the group. Lunch was a meal of homemade Japanese dishes prepared by JWSF members.

For the last few years, event organizer Lillian Yajima has been lobbying both state and city leaders to make Adopt-A-Mom day a recognized state holiday. The resolution recently passed both houses of the Legislature. Beginning in 2016, the third Sunday in May will be designated as “Adopt-A-Mom” Day on the official state calendar.

Special guests at the event included Gov. David Ige and first lady Dawn Amano-Ige; Misty Kela‘i, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Culture & the Arts; Consul General Toyoei Shigeeda; Michelle Yu of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Consul General Gina Jamoralin of the Consulate General of the Philippines; Annelle Amaral, president of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; 2015 May Day Queen Pomai Akiona; Kuakini Health Systems president Gary Kajiwara; state Sen. Gil Riviere and the 63rd Cherry Blossom Festival court.

Multicultural entertainment included Tahitian dancing by Halau O ‘Iolani, taiko drumming by the CBF court and Kenny and Chizuko Endo, hula by the JWSF Hula Aloha Ladies, a Chinese lion dance by the Young Dak Lion Dancing Association and Filipino dance by the Juta Montadena dance group.

With the Buddhist obon season soon to begin, members of the Kuakini Auxiliary and the medical center’s health care team gathered at the Kuakini Columbarium at the Honolulu Park Cemetery in Nu‘uanu on May 26 to honor the memory of 141 former residents of Kuakini Home. The residents, former Issei sugar plantation workers, were remembered with prayers led by Bishop Ryokan Ara of the Tendai Mission of Hawaii. Tendai Mission has been performing the ceremony for Kuakini since 1997, paying respects and expressing gratitude to the Issei pioneers and loved ones who have passed away.

Kuakini Auxiliary members assist with the upkeep of the columbarium, which was dedicated in 1961. Kuakini Home (then known as the Japanese Home of Hawaii) opened in 1932 as a residential care home, providing shelter for retired immigrants from Japan who did not have families to care for them.

The Hanayagi Dancing Academy Hawaii Foundation recently announced the promotion of Hanayagi Mitsujyuro (Bryson Teruo Goda) to shihan (master dance instructor).

Goda, 26, is a graduate of McKinley High School and Hawaii Pacific University, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. He is the youngest child of Ben Goda and the late Linda Goda’s three children. His older brother Brandon is a classical dancer as well, studying with the Onoe Kikunobu Dance Company.

Bryson Goda began studying classical dance at the age of 4 under the instruction of Mitsuaki Hanayagi I. When he was 6, he began taking nagauta shamisen (singing while playing shamisen) lessons from Satoshi Kineya-Sensei.

At the age of 16, Goda began nagauta shamisen training in Japan under the seventh-generation headmaster of the Samon-Kai, Sakichi Kineya. At 17, he studied Nihon buyö (Japanese classical dance) in Tökyö under master instructor Sanichiro Hanayagi. He was granted the name of Sakio Kineya from Nagauta Samon-Kai grand master Sakichi Kineya VII in 2008.

Goda decided to further his dance training, so he began studying in Tökyö with the fourth-generation headmaster of the Hanayagi School of classical Japanese dance, Jusuke Hanayagi, and was granted his natori name of Mitsujyuro Hanayagi in 2011.

During the required three-year waiting period for new natori, Goda studied for the shihan test, which he passed in December 2014 and was granted the status of shihan.

At a recent program at Natsunoya Tea House, Goda performed “Hokushu Sennenno Kotobuki,” one of two classical dances performed for the shihan test because it showcases a variety of complex dance techniques. The dance was composed in 1818 and is performed on a bare stage without any elaborate costumes. It has been designated an auspicious dance for the Hanayagi School of Dance. Goda explained that the song is almost an hour long, but in the interest of time was performing only a portion of it.