Opening ceremony for the Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit showing in Kona was held on November 1, 2019.

The ceremony was held at the Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union’s main branch in Kaloko, Kailua-Kona. Among those in attendance were Mayor Harry Kim, Deputy Consul General of  Japan Takayuki Shinozawa, 442 veteran Yasunori Deguchi, Hawaii Community FCU president Tricia Buskirk and long time Kona resident Miki Izu. Byrnes Yamashita of the NVL served as the emcee and also gave a tour of the exhibit. The ceremony included a special blessing by Lily Kahelelani Lyons and Ka’ea Lyons, who’s great grandfather, Tokujiro Sato, was one of the first immigrants to come to Hawaii from Japan in 1868 as part of the Gannenmono. The exhibit will be on display until November 28, 2018. In addition to the Japan Consulate, the exhibit is supported by the Kona Japanese Civic Association, Japanese Cultural Center of Kona and the local Kenjin Kai’s.

For more about the ceremony, see West Hawaii Today article: http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2018/11/02/hawaii-news/connecting-past-and-present/