October 2024, 3 members of the faculty from the Honouliuli middle school visited Fukuoka and Hiroshima prefecture as preparation for the 2025 Japan Study Tour. HGEF received the help of the Hawaii State Department of Education and the Takehara City Board of Education for this trip, to support the Honouliuli Middle School and the Takehara Middle School to tie sister-school relations.
Kushida shrine in Hakata city
Tadanoumi Academy
On the day we arrived at Fukuoka International Airport, faculty toured Hakata City, visiting the Kushida Shrine, Hakata-Machiya, and the Hakata old town district. We then rode the bullet train to Hiroshima and began our stay there by making their famous Okonamiyaki pancakes. Next, we headed to Takehara City to visit Mr. Imai and Mr. Takada, the city Mayor and the chairman of the Takehara City Board of Education respectively. At Takehara Middle School, faculty were met with a warm welcome by the students who had visited Honouliuli Middle School. At the Tadanoumi Academy, all the students gathered to wave hands for a very touching welcome, bringing some of us to the verge of tears! In Takehara City’s preservation district, we experienced manufacturing Bamboo ware. At the welcome party the Takehara Board of Education held for us, Honouliuli teachers performed Hula dancing as a sign of friendship.
Atomic Bomb Dome
Calligraphy Class
After returning to Hiroshima, we visited the Peace memorial museum and the atomic bomb dome, and gifted flowers in tribute to those lost by the bombing of Hiroshima. In the afternoon, we traveled to Miyajima where we experienced making Momiji manjyu cakes and visited the Itsukushima Shrine. Upon returning to Fukuoka, we visited the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and other cultural experiences such as painting the traditionally crafted Hakata Dolls. Faculty also made an official visit to the Fukuoka City International Exchange center as representatives of Hawaii State Schools.
This visit was in preparation for a study tour planned in June of 2025, when we will bring 14 students with us to visit Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Takehara City once again. We are also planning for student meet ups in Takehara city and a visit to Okuno Island.
Traditional Hakata Doll painting
Okonomiyaki cooking
To honor these friendly relations and sister-city relations tied between Hiroshima, Hawaii and the city of Honolulu, HGEF is committed to help creating opportunities to build friendly relationships and mutual understandings between our youth.
We plan to return to Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Takehara city in June 2025, together with 4 teachers and 14 students from Honouliuli.