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COUNTY (� ` H -' 1; P.O. Box 1793
Hilo, HI 96721-1793
0. WA. 101,E DEC -5 Al r
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December 5, 2023
To: The Honorable Mayor Mitch Roth,
Honorable members of the Hawai'i County Council,
and to the Governmental Operations and External Affairs Committee members
Subject: Support for the County of Hawaii Sister City Program
On behalf of Hui Okinawa, a non-profit cultural organization whose purpose is to promote,
preserve and perpetuate the Okinawan culture and promote an appreciation of and an interest
in the diverse cultural backgrounds of the State of Hawaii, I would like to state our support for
the County of Hawaii's Sister City Program.
In 1986, a sister city relationship was created between Hilo and Nago City Okinawa. As a result,
Nago City gifted 3 sabani boats to the County of Hawaii to bridge the friendship between the
two seaside cities. The 3 sabani boats arrived in Hilo in 1990. The sabani, or commonly
referred to as the Haari Boats, are displayed at Liliuokalani Gardens and was last used for the
Haari Festival in 2016.
Hui Okinawa continues to maintain its relationship with Nago City. Most recently, we've
supported their study abroad program. Since 2012, Nago City has sent junior high school
student to Hawaii to develop their English skills and learn about Hawaii's rich culture and
history. Thanks to Mayor Roth's 2021 Sister City Reaffirmation Ceremony, Nago City was able
to restart its study abroad program in 2022 following the pandemic.
This year,thanks to support from TMT International Observatory, National Astronomical
Observatory of Japan, and the County of Hawaii, 6 students from Hawaii was able to travel to
Nago City and Kumejima Okinawa to share Hawaii's culture and learn about Okinawa.
A Japanese proverb, "Toudai moto kurashi" translates to "living under a lighthouse" signifies
that one doesn't appreciate the light of the lighthouse until one travel away and sees it from a
distance. The sister city relationship promotes student exchanges that allows seeing new
places, meeting new people, and gain new appreciations. "Ichariba chode" is an Okinawan
phrase that means, once we meet, we are friends for life. The Sister City Program creates new
friendships and connections between Hawaii and the world, and that is key for developing
peace.
We truly appreciate this program. Mahalo, Ippe Nifee Debiru, and thank you very much.
Robert Kaneshiro, President
Comm. N . Sq D+
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