Hiroshima prefecture to pursue exchange with Hawaii to mark 20th anniversary of friendship ties
Jan. 18, 2017
by Hiroshi Ebisu, Staff Writer
This May, Hiroshima prefecture and the U.S. state of Hawaii will mark the 20th anniversary of their official ties of friendship. As part of their commemorative efforts, the prefecture will pursue a mutual exchange, sending delegates to Hawaii in May and inviting members of a group associated with Hiroshima prefecture to Japan in October. Hiroshima prefecture has earmarked 10 million yen for this exchange in its initial budget proposal for fiscal 2017.
According to the plan, a group of delegates, consisting of Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki and prefectural assembly members, will visit Hawaii and take part in a ceremony to commemorate the 20th anniversary. They will also attend a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of Higashi Hawaii Kenjin Kai and Kona Kenjin Kai, which are associations of people from Hiroshima prefecture. Then, in October, members of Kenjin Kai will travel to Hiroshima, and a commemorative event will be held to share the history of immigration to Hawaii.
The prefecture reported that, in 2012, it dispatched 15 delegates to Hawaii and invited 40 members of Kenjin Kai to Japan for activities to commemorate the 15th anniversary of their ties of friendship.
Immigration from Japan to Hawaii began in 1885, with an initiative led by the Meiji government. About 11,000 people moved from Hiroshima to Hawaii, which was the largest number among Hawaiian-bound immigrants from all prefectures in Japan. In December of last year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama visited Pearl Harbor, where the war broke out between Japan and the United States. At a press conference held that same month, Governor Yuzaki spoke on behalf of the immigrants from the prefecture, saying, “I think they’re very impressed with this visit because they have a very strong desire for peace and reconciliation between Japan and the United States.”
(Originally published on January 18, 2017)
This May, Hiroshima prefecture and the U.S. state of Hawaii will mark the 20th anniversary of their official ties of friendship. As part of their commemorative efforts, the prefecture will pursue a mutual exchange, sending delegates to Hawaii in May and inviting members of a group associated with Hiroshima prefecture to Japan in October. Hiroshima prefecture has earmarked 10 million yen for this exchange in its initial budget proposal for fiscal 2017.
According to the plan, a group of delegates, consisting of Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki and prefectural assembly members, will visit Hawaii and take part in a ceremony to commemorate the 20th anniversary. They will also attend a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of Higashi Hawaii Kenjin Kai and Kona Kenjin Kai, which are associations of people from Hiroshima prefecture. Then, in October, members of Kenjin Kai will travel to Hiroshima, and a commemorative event will be held to share the history of immigration to Hawaii.
The prefecture reported that, in 2012, it dispatched 15 delegates to Hawaii and invited 40 members of Kenjin Kai to Japan for activities to commemorate the 15th anniversary of their ties of friendship.
Immigration from Japan to Hawaii began in 1885, with an initiative led by the Meiji government. About 11,000 people moved from Hiroshima to Hawaii, which was the largest number among Hawaiian-bound immigrants from all prefectures in Japan. In December of last year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama visited Pearl Harbor, where the war broke out between Japan and the United States. At a press conference held that same month, Governor Yuzaki spoke on behalf of the immigrants from the prefecture, saying, “I think they’re very impressed with this visit because they have a very strong desire for peace and reconciliation between Japan and the United States.”
(Originally published on January 18, 2017)
