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The Ehime Maru Memorial Association was incorporated on November 11, 2001 as a nonprofit organization to coordinate the activities of placing an Ehime Maru Memorial at a site in Hawaii. The Governor of Ehime Prefecture approached Governor Benjamin Cayetano with a request to place a memorial in Hawaii to serve as a reminder of the tragic Ehime Maru accident that occurred on February 9, 2001. Governor Cayetano agreed and offered Kakaako Waterfront Park as the site for the memorial. EMMA was established in order to take ownership of the Ehime Maru Memorial. EMMA also took responsibility for the maintenance of the Memorial. Other activities of the EMMA include promoting the relationship between Ehime and Hawaii.
The EMMA is governed by five directors-three directors from Japan and two from Hawaii. The president of EMMA is the president of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii. The Internal Revenue Service determined that EMMA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization in its letter of September 19, 2002. EMMA Federal EIN # is 99-0356498.
The EMMA extends its deepest appreciation to all of the volunteers who have cleaned the Memorial every Saturday since the unveiling of the Memorial on February 9, 2002. EMMA also thanks Mr. Kenneth Saiki and Mr. Masao Wakatake, past presidents of the United Japanese Society who have volunteered to coordinate the maintenance schedule. Special thanks go to the St. Louis School's Japanese Club who were the first to volunteer to clean the Memorial and have been doing so every third Saturday of the month since the unveiling ceremony. They have also led the way in reaching out to the students of Uwajima Fisheries High School in helping to establish relationships that look to the future.
Bereaved family members Mr. & Mrs. Mizuguchi and Mr. & Mrs. Segawa assisted by Mr. Chiaki Horie arrange flowers and place leis around the Ehime Maru memorial as others including PVS’s Nainoa Thompson and Kathy Thompson watch and pay respect.
February 9th is the anniversary of the tragic accident that resulted in the sinking of the Japanese Fisheries High School training vessel Ehime Maru and the loss of nine crewmembers. This year, Mr. Tatsuyoshi Mizuguchi and Mrs.Mizuguchi, and Mr. Kazuteru Segawa and Mrs. Segawa came to Honolulu to pay respect to their sons and the lost crew on the anniversary date. Consul General Toshio and Mrs. Kunikata hosted a reception at the Japanese Consulate for the bereaved family members and also attended the memorial service at Kakaako Waterfront Park. On hand were also Mr. Nainoa Thompson, captain of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s voyaging canoe Hokule`a, and his wife Kathy Thompson who have continued to honor the bereaved family members, most recently by sailing the Hokule`a this past summer to Uwajima City, the homeport of the Ehime Maru. At precisely 1:43 PM to coincide with the time of the accident, the attendees observed a moment of silence and joined in prayer.
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Commander Eiji Futa (center) and crewmembers of the Japanese Submarine Uzushio
On September 17th, Commander Eiji Futa, Commanding Officer of the Japanese Submarine Uzushio and crewmembers visited the Ehime Maru Memorial at Kakaako Waterfront Park to pay respect to the lost crewmembers and to lay a wreath in their memory. JS Uzushio was visiting Hawaii to conduct joint training with the U.S. Pacific Fleet and took the occasion to visit with the President of Ehime Maru Memorial Association Edwin Hawkins. Commander Futa and his crew had visited gravesites of Japanese sailors and also visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punch Bowl) to pay respects. The Uzushio crew also cleaned the Ehime Maru Memorial the previous Saturday upon their arrival in Honolulu as a sign of respect for the lost crewmembers and as a public service to the State of Hawaii and the City of Honolulu. Commander Futa presented a gift to Mr. Hawkins to mark the visit, and Mr. Hawkins reciprocated with a gift to Commander Futa.
Please click here for the Japanese Language Version.
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On 21 August, the new Japanese Consul General Toshio Kunikata and Mrs. Hiroko Kunikata accompanied by staff members of the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu visited the Ehime Maru Memorial to pay respect to those who lost their lives aboard the Uwajima Fishery High School training ship. Consul General and Mrs. Kunikata prayed at the memorial and presented a flower wreath in remembrance of the lost crewmembers. The visit to the Kakaako Waterfront Park memorial was one of the first orders of business for the new Consul General who arrived in Honolulu just the previous week. Also present at the invitation of Consul General Kunikata were new Japan-America Society of Hawaii and Ehime Maru Memorial Association (EMMA) President Edwin Hawkins, past President Earl Okawa, and EMMA Director Kenneth Saiki.
L-R: JASH/EMMA President Edwin Hawkins, Mrs. Kunikata, Consul General Kunikata,
EMMA Director Kenneth Saiki, past President Earl Okawa
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On July 8, Major General Hisashi Ota, Deputy Chief of Staff, North Eastern Army, Japan Ground Self Defense Force, led a delegation of his staff to pay respects at the Ehime Maru Memorial in Kakaako Waterfront Park. General Ota was visiting the United States Pacific Command for a planning meeting for the next Yama Sakura Joint Training Exercise between U.S. forces and Japan Ground Self Defense forces as the Japanese exercise director. General Ota took the opportunity to lay a wreath at the memorial and pay respects to the nine Japanese who lost their lives aboard the Japanese training ship Ehime Maru. JASH and Ehime Maru Memorial Association (EMMA) President Ed Hawkins met with the Japanese visitors and later accompanied them to the memorial.
Japanese military personnel have visited the Ehime Maru memorial during their official visits to Hawaii as a sign of respect to the lost crewmembers.
JASH and EMMA President Ed Hawkins shakes hands with Major General Hisashi Ota at the Ehime Maru Memorial, Kakaako Waterfront Park.
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Captain Ken Funato (center) and crewmembers of the Japanese Ship Atago at the Ehime Maru Memorial. JMSDF Liaison to U.S. Pacific Fleet, Cdr Hori (left) and Mr. Hawkins were also present.
On November 14, Captain Ken Funato, Commanding Officer of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force Ship DDG-177 Atago, and crew visited the Ehime Maru Memorial at Kakaako Waterfront Park to pay respect to the lost crewmembers. After a short memorial service, Captain Funato presented a wreath. DDG Atago was visiting Hawaii to conduct training and took the occasion to visit with the President of Ehime Maru Memorial Association Edwin Hawkins and pay respects at the memorial. Captain Funato and his crew earlier visited gravesites of Japanese sailors and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punch Bowl) to pay respects. Captain Funato presented a gift to Mr. Hawkins to mark the visit, and Mr. Hawkins reciprocated with a gift.
Japan Self Defense Force personnel have visited the Ehime Maru Memorial during their official visits to Hawaii as a sign of respect to the lost crewmembers.
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