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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.
On Monday, March 23, 2009, Japan’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki, paid a visit to the Ehime Maru Memorial at Kakaako Waterfront Park in Honolulu. Ambassador Fujisaki was accompanied by Japan’s Consul General in Honolulu, The Honorable Toshio Kunikata. The President of the Ehime Maru Memorial Association Ed Hawkins met Ambassador Fujisaki and escorted him to the memorial where Mr. Hawkins related the history of the incident and the significance of the memorial in Kakaako. Ambassador Fujisaki presented a flower wreath to the nine lost crew of the fishery high school training ship Ehime Maru and offered a prayer in their memory.
Afterwards Mr. Hawkins described the various good-will initiatives for enhancing US-Japan relations that came out of the tragic incident, including establishment of a sister school relationship between junior high school students in Hawaii and in Uwajima City, home port of the Ehime Maru, summer internship for two University of Hawaii students each year sponsored by the Ehime Prefecture International Center, and the sending of an active duty military representative from the US Navy to Ehime’s Nametoko English Camp each summer to teach English to Japanese students.
Ambassador Fujisaki said that he was the Director General of the North American Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time of the incident and accompanied Japanese Prime Minister Mori to Hawaii. Ambassador Fujisaki recalled that it was a very stressful time for the US-Japan relationship, but added that he was pleased to hear various programs for building good will between US and Japan resulted in the aftermath of this tragic event.
EMMA-Ambassador.JPG; Ambassador Fujisaki being shown the Memorial (L-R EMMA President Ed Hawkins, Amb Ichiro Fujisaki, Consul General Toshio Kunikata, EMMA Director Ken Saiki.
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On Sunday, December 28, 2008, Japan’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honorable Yohei Kono, paid a visit to the Ehime Maru Memorial at Kakaako Waterfront Park in Honolulu. Mr. Kono was accompanied by a staff assistant and the Japanese Consul General in Honolulu the Honorable Toshio Kunikata.
The President of the Ehime Maru Memorial Association Edwin Hawkins met Mr. Kono and escorted him to the memorial where Mr. Hawkins related the history of the incident and the significance of the memorial in Kakaako. Mr. Kono presented a flower wreath in respect to the nine lost crew of the fishery high school training ship Ehime Maru and observed a moment of silence in their memory.
Afterwards, Mr. Hawkins described the various good-will initiatives for enhancing US-Japan relations that came out of the tragic incident. These include the establishment of a sister school relationship between Honolulu’s Kawananakoa Middle School and Ehime Prefecture’s Uwajima Minami Junior High School, Ehime Prefecture International Center sponsored summer internship for two University of Hawaii students each year, and the sending of an active duty military representative from the US Navy to Ehime’s Nametoko English Camp each summer to teach English to Japanese students. For his part, Mr. Kono noted he was Foreign Minister in Japan’s Cabinet during the Ehime Maru incident, and recalled coordinating with Admiral Thomas Fargo who was the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet at that time.
House Speaker Kono observes a moment of silence in tribute to the deceased crew of the Ehime Maru.
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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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