Board of Directors

Dr. Masafumi Honda　/ 本田正文

Dr. Masafumi Honda achieved a BA in English Education and Psychotherapy in Japan at the University of Kagoshima. Prior to earning his Ph.D. in language education and linguistics at the University of Georgia in 1988, he developed the Georgia Japanese Language School in Atlanta in addition to teaching his own creation, The Japanese language program at the University of Georgia. He has had two books published Amerika ni ikiru Nihon no Kodomo-tachi and Bicultural ni nareru hito narenai hito. The first book is about Japanese children in America. The second book is about bilingualism. Dr. Honda has chaired the Japanese Studies and Linguistic programs at UHH and as Associate Professor, he currently teaches Japanese linguistics/language education and culture/language courses.

An introduction to Kiyoshi Okubo and his Hawaii Shima Japanese Immigrant Museum in 1977 developed into an insatiable desire to learn as much as he could from the “living encyclopedia” on Hawaiian/Japanese immigrants’ history, Kiyoshi Okubo. Meeting almost daily, listening, learning as well as attending to much of Mr. Okubo’s personal needs, Dr. Honda was committed to bring Mr. Okubo’s dreams to fruition. Hence the birth of the Hawaii Japanese Center: “Preserving the past to build the future”.

Dr. Honda’s relentless dedication and relationships with Waseda University, Tokyo Kasei University, Ritsumeikan University, Tokyo Gakugei University, Printing Press Museum, the Meiji Museum, UHH Japanese Studies Dept., Subaru Telescope, and the Japanese Consulate will allow for tremendous, almost unimaginable Hawaii Japanese Center Growth.

Secretary

Patricia Okamura / オカムラパトリシア: Patricia (Fujimoto) Okamura recently retired as the Associate Director of the UHH’s library. After 23 of service Mrs. Okamura is qualified to serve as Secretary of the Hawaii Japanese Center. Needless to say, we, as beneficiaries, do not fully realize the breadth of the collective varied library experiences she will be sharing with us. She is credentialed with Master’s degrees in Library Science from Indiana University and Education from San Jose State University. She has also served as head librarian at the Hawaii Community College for two years and the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Director at UHH from 1998-2002. Early in her career, Pat was a librarian in Baltimore, MD at the Enoch Pratt Public Library as well as a Department of Education Hawaii librarian.

Treasurer

Wallace Oki / オキウォレス: Wally Oki- is an Electrical Contractor servicing the Big Island

Mieko Tsuboi / 坪井みゑこ

私がセンターに関わりを持つようになったのは、元ハワイ日本人移民資料館の館長さんだった故大久保清氏の依頼によるものです。ご自分の亡きあと、膨大な資料が散逸したり、ゴミとなって処分されるのを心配なさって、資料保存に協力して欲しい、と頼まれました。もちろん、最初は冗談かと聞き流しておりました。遠い日本に住んでいて、お金持ちでもなく、肩書きも何もない、主婦の私にできる話ではない、と思ったからです。けれども、その後も再三電話をいただき、ついには病床から「会って話したい」との電話でハワイへ飛びました。

病床の氏は私の「ハワイ最初の日本語新聞を発行した男」（朝日新聞社）を「六回読んだ。自分で資料に当たっていて、嘘の書いてないのが良い」と言ってくださいました。資料のいくつか、ことに小野目文一郎の自筆の書簡などは、たくさんの移民資料の中から90歳を過ぎた大久保さんが、夜遅くまでかかって探し出してくださったものでした。

その後、大久保さんは急逝してしまわれ、気がついた時にはセンターのスタッフの中に私の名前も入れてもらいました。微力を承知で頑張るしかない、と思っています。

「資料館」は、「センター」に名前を変え、運営も大久保さん個人からNPO法人に移りましたが、目指すところは同じです。熱心なボランティアたちのおかげで、ゼロから出発したセンターは建物も形を整え、ハワイ在住の日系人だけでなく、日本からの学生たちとの交流も増えています。

今、私の一番の希望は紙の資料、つまり本や古い新聞などの整理を勧めることです。温度や湿度を調節できる書庫などは「夢のまた夢」にしても、本を本棚に並べたり、検索したりできるように整理ができればと願っています。ハワイで日本語の書名や著者名を読むことができるのは、ごく年配の方たちに限られています。ローマ字の台帳を作るために、日本から学生さん、移民史の研究者の方たち、などが研究をかねた意欲的なボランティアで助けにきていただければありがたいです。また、もちろん本棚などを買うお金も今まで同様に草の根で頑張っていますので、助けていただけるとありがたいです。

Gladys Sonomura / ソノムラグラディス

Gladys Sonomura is the heart and soul of the Hawaii Japanese Center. She has been actively involved in every aspect of the development of the overall vision; plan and making that dream become a reality. She knew the Okubo family members as a child and grew to know them, individually, very intimately. She knew early on, of the irreplaceable value of Mr. Okubo’s Hawaii Shima Japanese Immigrant Museum, many times declining stewardship of Mr. Okubo’s dream while managing to support the future of the collection while maintaining arduous friendships with opposing family members and Mr. Okubo himself. Knowing of Dr. Honda’s personal involvement, his sincerity, dedication, ability and perseverance made it difficult for her to abandon the formidable but necessary realization of Mr. Okubo’s dream.

Wayne Kamitaki / カミタキウェイン

Wayne Kamitaki is the Chief Executive Officer of BFS Inc. dba Ben Franklin Crafts and Ace Hardware Hawaii, Inc. with stores located on the Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kauai. As a 3rd. generation owner/operator of a family retail business in Hawaii and originally from Maui, Wayne felt his roots in Hilo were not comparable to other “Hiloans.” Except for the juxtaposition of the Ace Hardware building and Mr. Okubo’s Hawaii Shima Japanese Immigrant Museum and what he had heard about Mr. Okubo’s notorious personality. However, because of Japanese translation needs which Dr. Honda met, Wayne developed not only a trusting friendship with Dr. Honda but a keen awareness of the Okubo collection. His donation of materials, time, physical space, personnel and innumerable others, his business acumen and leadership all are priceless to the development of the Hawaii Japanese Center.

Gina Hara Chun　/ ジーナハラチュン

Gina Hara Chun- Hilo Girl -born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Studies & Bachelor of Science in Asian American Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle. Graduate High school from of Hawai’i Preparatory Academy. Member of the National Association of Realtors
Member of Hawai’i Board of Realtors &a Certified Hawai’i State Substitute Teacher- (not active) Active member in several community organizations: Holy Apostles Episcopal Church-Past Vestry member/ Youth leader. Salvation Army Feed the Hungry Volunteer server.
Crescent City Lion Club active member- Social Chair. Kamehameha Band Ohana volunteer.
Gina, “is very passionate about the mission of the center as she believes it helps us to
Honor the legacy of our grandparents and all those immigrants who came here to seek a better life”. And “by teaching and highlighting the cultural Importance of the different events we can build a bridge to the community and be very proud of our Japanese American heritage”.

Alan Iwasaki / イワサキアラン

Works for the Subaru Telescope and an active member of the center to help coordinate annual events.

Yuki Tanaka / ユキタナカ

Board Advisors

Dr. Masahiko Hayashi / 林正彦

Dr. Masahiko Hayashi is the Associate Director of Subaru Telescope in Hawaii and a Professor of Tokyo University. Like Mr. Okubo, he is a native of the Niigata prefecture in Japan, an instant qualification for Mr. Okubo’s friendship which forgives the often stern regard Mr. Okubo regularly imposed on anyone. Over ten years, a very warm friendship accompanied by great respect and trust grew. Enriched by this association, Dr. Hayashi simultaneously developed many ties between the Subaru Telescope family, Japan and the community.

Ruth Fujimoto　/ フジモトルース

Soon after I left school to work at the Tax Office, I began accompanying Japanese singers on the piano. Mr. Kiyoshi Okubo featured us on his Radio Station KHBC. When I came back to Hilo after my 21-year odyssey in Japan and Europe, I found Mr. Okubo accumulating things concerning the Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. I thought this a wonderful idea and admired his enthusiasm and devotion to his chosen task. I went Saturday mornings to help at the reception desk at the Hawaii-Shima Japanese Immigrant Museum. He used to join me often to reminisce.

When I learned the Hawaii Japanese Center was based on his accumulations I decided to join the volunteers in making the Center an ongoing memorial to Mr. Okubo. I am so glad and proud of the Center today.

Masayoshi Ikemoto / 池本正義

1965年初めてハワイを訪ねて以来、澄み切った空、青い海に代表される自然の美しさに魅了され、以後何度ハワイを訪れたことでしょう。その数は数え切れません。年1回としても40回以上、年に3回、4回ということもありましたので、訪問総数は100回を超えていると思います。個人所有の島で訪れることが難しいニイハウ島も含めて全ての島を訪問しています。しかし、このような訪問はほぼ100％自然に魅かれたものでした。

一度は仕事を引退したらハワイに住もうと思ったこともありました。カウアイ島に土地を買い、７年かかって永住権も取得しました。この計画は、身内の介護問題が起きたため頓挫しましたが、ハワイ大好きという気持ちはいささ
かも変わっていません。

この20年来、私はセンターの理事の一人、ウエイン・カミタキさんと親しくさせて頂いています。
きっかけはビジネスでしたが、その後は親しい友人としての付き合いに発展しています。私の永住権取得、毎年の確定申告の手続きなど、どれだけ助けられたかはかり知れません。

2004年、ウエインさんの紹介でセンターの理事長、本田正文先生を知りました。その結果、私は今までのハワイとはまた違う惹きつけられるものに出会うことになりました。それがHawaii Japanese Centerです。このセンターを通じて私は日系移民の歴史に接し始めました。本田先生の語られる移民史は私にとって衝撃的なものでした。またセンターに関わられている日系2世、3世の方が淡々と語られる人生、人生観も私の感情を揺さぶるものでした。

それまで40年間何しにハワイに来ていたのだろうと思わずにいられないものでした。日本人移民の方たちがハワイ発展のために、アメリカ合衆国のために、戦後の日米関係のために果たされた役割の大きさを知るにつけ、私のハワイに対する関心はさらにさらに大きくなっています。

私はHawaii Japanese Centerの存在、掲げる目的を日本人にもっと知ってもらいたいと思い、アドバイザーにして頂きました。センターがその役割を果たし、発展するために少しでも貢献できたらと願っています。

Linus Chao / チャオライナス

Grant Togushi / グラントトグシ

Retired accountant

Cooperating Academic Organization/ 協力学術機関

Cooporating Group

Wailea Lions Club
Naoyuki Harada Music Office
Nishihonganji Kendo Club
Big Island Bonsai Club
Hawaii shima Yamaguchi Kennjin kai
Hawaii shima Fukushima Kennjin Doshi kai
Hawaii shima Kumamoto Doshi kai
Hawaii shima Hui Okinawa Kennjinnkai
East Hawaii Hiroshima Kenjinnkai
Hawaii shima Yamanashi Kennjinkai
Hawaii shima Niigata Kennjinkai
Hawaii shima Fukuoka Kennjinnkai
KHBC Radio Station

Letters of Support for HJC

This is a letter from Mr. Yanai, President, Mokuyo-gosan kai Honolulu, on July 18, 2004.

We would like to support your project to build Hawaii Japanese Center in Hilo.
We were happy to hear from you that Mr. Okubo and other Issei’s dreams have been becoming true. We have collected some donations from our members. Enclosed a check for Hawaii Japanese Center.