Hawai‘i Nikkei Legacy Exhibit Opens Friday

Honolulu singer Allison Arakawa. Contributed photo

Honolulu singer, Allison Arakawa, well-known for her rendition of “Holehole Bushi”, a song about the Japanese immigrants working in the Hawai‘i sugar plantation during Japanese immigration era of 1880s, will perform at the opening night of “Hawai‘i Nikkei Legacy”, a photographic exhibit of the unique Japanese American culture of Hawai‘i on Friday, Sept. 7 at Kukui Grove Center Exhibition area from 6:45 p.m.

Arakawa will be joined by Kaua‘i’s bon dance performers at 7 pm at the center stage to perform many favorite bon dance songs. People are encouraged to dance with the bon dance group. Arakawa will also do a special performance at Kukui Grove Center on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 11:30 a.m.

The Legacy exhibit featuring 30 panels with hundreds of historic photos dating back 100 years to the present will be on display in the gallery space next to Regis Salon. It runs from Sept. 7-23 on Thursdays-Sundays with varies hours. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

At 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 7, Byrnes Yamashita of Nisei Veterans Legacy will conduct a special guided tour of the display for the public. The exhibit covers the initial immigration of Issei (first generation immigrants) from Japan in the 1880s to modern day Hawai‘i, showing how the Nikkei (overseas Japanese) in Hawai‘i merged their Japanese cultural values with the blend of cultures in Hawai‘i. Prominent Japanese Americans from Hawai‘i are displayed with the prefectures (states) in Japan that their ancestors emigrated from.

The intent of the exhibit is to share the story of Hawai‘i’s Nikkei and to promote goodwill between Japan and the United States through deeper understanding of the cross-cultural values and customs between Japan and Hawai‘i.

The exhibit is presented on Kaua‘i by County of Kaua‘i Office of Economic Development and Kaua‘i Japanese Cultural Society with support from Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu; Nisei Veterans Legacy; Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i; Japan America Society of Hawai‘i and Kukui Grove Center. The exhibit is part of 2018 Hawai‘i Gannenmono Commemoration which celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the first immigrants from Japan to Hawai‘i.

The exhibit is a kickoff event for the upcoming Matsuri Kaua‘i Festival on Sept. 22 which includes Matsuri Gala Dinner and historic Isenberg Japanese Garden re-dedication ceremony on Sept. 21.

For more information, contact Pearl Shimizu at 822-5353 or email: pkgshim3@Hawai‘iantel.net