Japanese Cultural Center Of Hawaii

TO PRESERVE JAPANESE AMERICAN HISTORY AND PROMOTE THE JAPANESE CULTURE IN HAWAII FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

PROGRAMS (INCLUDING CULTURAL FESTIVALS, STATEWIDE PUBLIC PROGRAMS, EXHIBITIONS AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS) ARE SPONSPORED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PROMOTE AWARENESS IN THE JAPANESE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN HAWAII AND THE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CULTURAL ARTS. JCCH'S LARGEST CULTURAL FESTIVAL IS HELD AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR. THE NEW YEAR'S OHANA FESTIVAL ATTRACTS OVER 15,000 VISITORS TO THE CENTER AND BRINGS TOGETHER THE COMMUNITY TO SHOWCASE JAPANESE DANCE, MUSIC, MARTIAL ARTS, CULTURAL ARTS AND FOOD. HOWEVER, IN FYE 6/30/21 THE OHANA FESTIVAL WAS CANCELLED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO SCHOOLS TEACH STUDENTS THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE IN HAWAII FROM IMMIGRATION TO CURRENT DAY. THE JCCH WITH COOPERATION FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TAKES VISITORS ON TOUR TO THE HONOULIULI NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, HAWAII'S LARGEST AND LONGEST OPERATING WORLD WAR II DETENTION CAMP. VISITORS WALK THE SITE AND LEARN THE PERSONAL STORIES OF JAPANESE AMERICAN PRISONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

THE TOKIOKA HERITAGE RESOURCE CENTER PROVIDES PUBLIC ACCESS TO OUR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE IN HAWAII AND SERVES AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO RESEARCHERS, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. THE RESOURCE CENTER ALSO PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS RESEARCHING THEIR FAMILY HISTORIES, TRANSLATION SERVICES OF FAMILY REGISTRIES AND INTERPRETATION OF JAPANESE NAMES. THE RESOURCE CENTER IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FIVE DAYS EACH WEEK AND STAFFED BY A LIBRARIAN AND TEAM OF RETIRED LIBRARIANS.

THE HISTORICAL AND COMMUNITY GALLERIES PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF JAPANESE AMERICAN CULTURE AND HISTORY THROUGH THE DISPLAY OF PICTORIAL HISTORY, ARTIFACTS, VIDEOS AND EXHIBITS. THE ELLISON ONIZUKA REMEMBRANCE EXHIBIT IN THE HISTORICAL GALLERY IS A TRIBUTE TO HAWAII'S FIRST ASTRONAUT, THE COLLECTION OF PHOTOS AND NASA ARTIFACTS WERE TRANSFERRED FROM STORAGE IN KONA TO THE HISTORICAL EXHIBITION AT JCCH. THE HONOULIULI EDUCATION CENTER, LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER, SHOWCASE JCCH'S WORK TO PRESERVE HONOULIULI AND TO FEATURE HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS AND ORAL HISTORIES OF FORMER JAPANESE AMERICANS INTERNED DURING WORLD WAR II. AN ESTIMATED 10,000 STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND VISITORS FROM HAWAII, CONTINENTAL U.S. AND JAPAN HAVE PASSED THROUGH THE HISTORICAL GALLERY AND THE HONOULUULI EDUCATION CENTER. HOWEVER, IN FYE 6/20/21 THE HISTORICAL GALLERY AND THE HONOULIULI EDUCATION CENTER CLOSED FOR PUBLIC VIEWING DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. VIRTUAL ONLINE TOURS WERE ADDED IN 2021 TO ENSURE PROGRAM FULFILLMENT DESPITE THE COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS.