Aside from castaway immigrants, the first of the Japanese immigrants bound for Hawaii were the people later known as “Gannen-Mono” who took passage in 1868, the first year (Gannen) of the Meiji-era. The Meiji Government was initially unenthusiastic of emigration, but official government driven “Kan-Yaku Imin” emigrations eventually begun in 1885.
Many of you may have already heard of the hardships of the 1st generation Kan-Yaku Imin immigrants, and the legacy of their children, the 2nd generation “Nikkei Nisei.” To pass down the stories and monumental achievements of these Japanese immigrants, we initiated the Hawaii state Grant-in-Aid (GIA) project with an emphasis of those with roots in the Fukuoka prefecture. The project was successfully completed.
Fukuoka was the first prefecture to tie Sister-State Relationships with Hawaii, and this year (2021) marks its 40th anniversary. Every year, the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly members come to Hawaii to attend the Hawaii State Legislature’s opening day. In 2017, Former Fukuoka Governor Mr. Ogawa made a special visit to attend the 35th Anniversary Ceremony.
By request of the Hawaii Fukuoka Prefecture Citizens Association, Hawaii Global Education Foundation (HGEF) applied for government subsidy to the Hawaii State Legislature in 2019. Once approved, we assisted this project to bridge Hawaii and Japan through interpretation, translation and overall coordination.
Did you know that there were three Fukuoka native Nikkei people from Hawaii, who left their mark in American history through their great accomplishments? All of their accomplishments were the “first-ever” for Nikkei people:
Governor Ariyoshi, born in Honolulu, carries roots in Toyomae City of Fukuoka Prefecture. After studying in the U.S. Military Intelligence Service Japanese Language School, he served as an interpreter for the U.S. Occupation forces in Japan.
After working as a member in the Hawaii State Assembly and Senate, he was elected as Vice-Governor in 1970, then in 1974, became the first Nikkei State Governor in the U.S. As there weren’t set term limits at the time, he stayed in term for a record length of 12 years.
Fukuoka and Hawaii tied Sister-State relations in 1981 during his term, which is celebrating its 40th year anniversary this year, and still holds strong. Turning 95 in March this year, Mr. Ariyoshi is still hard at work bridging Japan and Hawaii to maintain friendly relations between our nations.
A bronze plaque was gifted to Toyomae City in commemoration of Mr. Ariyoshi’s great accomplishments. It is currently on display in the lobby of the Toyomae City Hall.
Senator Inouye was born in Honolulu, with roots in Fukuoka Prefecture, Yame city. He was the first Japanese American to be elected as a U.S. Senator. After being elected 9 terms in a row, he was the oldest member of the senate. Later he was elected as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate, which is the second highest ranking official of the Senate.
While studying at the University of Hawaii, he was drafted into the 442nd infantry regiment, most know for being comprised of Nikkei soldiers. There he lost his right arm by a grenade explosion while fighting in the European front lines. After becoming Senator, he worked hard to maintain friendly relations with Japan and the United States.
Senator Inouye passed away in 2012 at the age of 88. When asked of how he wanted to be remembered, he replied “I represented the people of Hawaii and this nation honestly and to the best of my ability. I think I did OK.” His final words were “Aloha.” The Honolulu International Airport was renamed the “Daniel K. Inouye International Airport” in his remembrance.
Yame City is a result of the 4 nearby cities and towns merging together. 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of this merger, and we here at HGEF and the State of Hawaii thought it to be the appropriate occasion to gift Yame city a statue of Senator Inouye. Though the pandemic caused delays, the statue was finally built and unveiled in March of 2021.
Astronaut Ellison Onizuka was born in Kona on the island of Hawaii, holding ancestral roots in Ukiha City of Fukuoka. After studying aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, he entered active duty with the U.S. Air force as a Second Lieutenant.
Onizuka applied for the astronaut program in 1978, then was selected as crew in the year after. Later in 1983 he traveled to Ukiha city with his family to visit his ancestors’ grave. He had a special lecture at the local Ukiha Middle School. “Work hard for your dreams. They’re bound to come true.” Many students were inspired and encouraged by Onizuka’s words.
His first space mission was on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985. He was the first to use chopsticks, eat sushi, drink Kona coffee, and play Hawaiian music in space.
In 1986, Onizuka was onboard the Space Shuttle Challenger which tragically exploded on launch, taking the life of all 7 crew members. A quote by Onizuka is left in the new standard U.S. passport today: “Every Generation has the obligation to free men’s minds for a look at new worlds… to look out from a higher plateau than the last generation.”
We donated a bronze plaque commemorating Astronaut Onizuka’s great contribution to the world. You can find it displayed at “Michi no Eki(Roadside Station) Ukiha.”
