Hawaii Japanese Center

The Preservation of Historical Materials

Waseda University Students utilizing facility The Center houses an extensive collection of rare photographs, recordings, official documents, publications and memorabilia relating to the history of Japanese immigrants to Hawai‘i and continental United States. Research and Educational Activities
The Center organizes information and books for scholarly research. Materials from the collection have been used to develop educational presentations, exhibits, books and other publications. For example, through materials archived at the Center, Mrs. Mieko Tsuboi of Nara, Japan, discovered that her grand uncle, Mr. Bunichiro Onome, lived in Hawaii over a hundred years ago and that he was the first person to publish a Japanese language newspaper in Hawai‘i. As a result of her research, Mrs. Tsuboi was able to publish her book, Hawai’i saisho no Nihongo shinbun o hakkou sh*ta Otoko, in 2000. Additionally, students and professors from Waseda University in Japan utilize the center when in Hilo to research Japanese immigration to Hawai‘i. Serving as a Community Center
The Center embraces diversity and is made available to anyone interested and involved in Japanese history and culture in Hawai‘i. For example, the Center encourages the use of its facilities by prefectural groups (kenjinkai) to hold meetings or conduct workshops.