HistoricHawaii

8/19/2021: Historic Hawai‘i Foundation invited the six new members of the Board of Trustees who were officially appointed at yesterday's Annual Meeting to tell us about their personal interests and the path that led them to HHF.  Vernon Wong, who was elected board president, also reciprocated. We hope you will appreciate their candid and thoughtful responses. Q&A with the Trustees Elected to Serve a First Term on the Board The questions asked: Tell us a little about yourself and what motivated you to join the HHF board. Please name one of your favorite historic places in Hawai‘i and describe what makes it special to you. (Imagine where you'd take an out-of-town guest, for example.) Have you learned anything about yourself during the Covid-19 pandemic that you would be willing to share? Do you have a favorite book (provide the title and author), poem, or quote that you would like to share? What are you most proud of? JEREMY BALDWIN Jeremy Baldwin’s roots on Maui and O‘ahu go back six generations. He is manager and part owner of JKT Partnership which owns a number of historic buildings in Makawao Town on Maui. He has a BS in physics from Harvey Mudd College but has always been more interested in building and architecture. Many historic properties of the family led to repairs and renovations relying on traditional methods and the making of many sash windows. Single wall construction is the most fun to restore because it was often covered up and is more unique to the islands. He serves on the boards of Seabury Hall, Montessori School of Maui and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation. I enjoy being involved with small historical projects and always viewed the [...]

By: Sandy Takahashi, Hāmākua Jodo Mission Member The First Buddhist Temple in Hawai‘i In 1894, Reverend Gakuo Okabe was sent to O‘ahu, Hawai‘i as an officially selected Jodo Shu priest. Approximately two months later, Okabe left for Maui and then headed to Hawai‘i Island. After arriving in the County of Hāmākua, Reverend Okabe garnered a strong following among the Japanese immigrants living on the plantations who felt he was a sincere and honorable priest. Recognizing this, they rented him a house and placed a sign in front that read “Sacred Altar of Amida Buddha from Japan.” Tanikichi Fujitani Reverend Okabe worked tirelessly to spread his mission work of the teachings of Buddhism by visiting many locations, giving sermons and performing special memorial services for unknown deceased people, carrying an Amida Buddha statue on his back wherever he went. After some time, the Japanese community felt it was time to have a home temple built with Reverend Okabe as their sensei (“teacher” is its proper translation; however, this term is also used to address ministers, as well as doctors and lawyers). Hisashi Shimamura, the Imperial Consulate General of Japan to Hawai‘i, soon paid a visit. Members of the Japanese immigrant community mentioned the idea of building a home temple in Hāmākua. Consulate General Shimamura was so pleased with the idea that he pledged $300 to begin construction. Led by Reverend Okabe, the Japanese immigrant community worked extra hard to raise additional funds. This was a seemingly impossible task, but Reverend Okabe and one of the founding members, Tanikichi Fujitani persisted by going house to house on foot seeking donations within the plantation camps. They often subsisted on bananas on their journeys, all to make [...]

In Hawai‘i, the Japanese o-bon season is widely known for its bon odori (dance festivals) which are held across the Islands, attracting crowds of people throughout the summer. The festival season traditionally kicks off in early June at the Hawai‘i Plantation Village in Waipahu and at least one festival is held every weekend thereafter. The simple joy of gathering with friends to dance, donning a colorful yukata (cotton kimono) or hapi coat, following the rhythmic beat of taiko drums on a hot summer evening is a special memory for many. Although this year live bon dances in Hawai‘i have been cancelled again due to the covid-19 pandemic, many temples are offering virtual celebrations (see notes below). Beyond the merrymaking--what is the meaning of o-bon? Reverend Junshin Miyazaki of Hakalau Jodo Mission offered these reflections to share. O-bon Sermon by Reverend Junshin Miyazaki of Hakalau Jodo Mission Depiction of obon customs, 1867 (courtesy Hakalau Jodo Mission) O-bon is a mixture of many religions and cultures. The customs, the expression of O-bon, vary by region. Generally, the belief is that the spirits of the deceased come back from the other world to this world during O-bon. People welcome the deceased by having a minister officiate at a service at the home altar, making cucumber horses and eggplant cows to ride, making a fire and hanging lanterns outside so the deceased do not get lost, offering good foods, and dancing all night under the full moon. The deceased who passed away after the previous O-bon come back to this world for the first time. They are called Hatsu-bon or the First O-bon and people made much of it. The family hang a white chochin outside the [...]