About
Since its founding in 2002, the Hawaii Japanese Center (HJC) has strived to meet its mission of serving as a cultural, research, and educational center for the community. Our facility was dedicated in 2007 and has hosted lectures, exhibitions, concerts, films, workshops, fashion shows, and festivals. Our Conference Room and Gallery have also proven to be ideal venues for kenjinkai functions and meetings. With the prized Okubo collection of books and artifacts as its core, the HJC has continued to receive items of historical interest from the community for safekeeping and display. Supported by donations of funds and volunteers from the community, the HJC has benefitted from major renovations and upgrades to its physical facilities. Today, the HJC includes exhibition and storage spaces, a gift shop, conference room, gallery, archival workroom, and library. Most recently, renovations to a spacious storehouse (kura) were completed to house the HJC’s collections. As a community history center, the HJC tries to facilitate the preservation and appreciation of our past—some of which are unique to our Japanese heritage while others are shared with the multiethnic mix of people that call Hawaii home. We aim to share and celebrate all that inspires us and others to forge a more positive future for Hawaii.
