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10th Anniversary celebrations for the month of November will center around life in Honouliuli internment camp and how prisoners kept themselves occupied for the many years they were incarcerated. Many traditional artforms, including drawings, carvings, and music, became commonplace in the camps to stave off the overwhelming threat of boredom. In addition to several speakers, Honouliuli is partnering with local organizations that specialize in the game of Go, a popular past time for Japanese Americans, Japanese POWs, and Korean POWs. Members of the community who get involved can even learn how to play the game themselves while learning of its historical and cultural significance to East Asia and the camps. Please Note: Nearly all of our Speaker Series events will be virtual. Event details will be posted closer to the month in which they take place. Please check back for updates to the calendar and event pages. 
Speaker: Delphine Hirasuna (Will be rescheduled)Date and Time: This event will be rescheduled in the future. Discussion Summary: Led by Delphine Hirasuna, author of the book "The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942-1946", this presentation will cover how the camps came to be and showcase the different materials used for the intricate pieces of art crafted by those imprisoned. Hirasuna will be joined by Sandi Chang, granddaughter of Sam Nishimura who was incarcerated at Honouliuli. Nishimura's work remains a stunning example of resilience and craftsmanship in the camps with his toothbrush rings, carvings, and toys he made for his family. Biographies: Delphine Hirasuna Delphine Hirasuna is the author of over a dozen books, including "The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942-1946", which became a traveling exhibition shown at 10 museums across the U.S, including the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery in Washington D.C. and the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. NHK Broadcasting also sponsored a five-city tour of “The Art of Gaman” exhibition in Japan, with Delphine as organizer and curator. The exhibition was seen by special request by the Emperor and Empress of Japan. For more than 25 years, Delphine also wrote a weekly feature column for the two largest Japanese American newspapers in the U.S. and co-authored the Japanese cookbook, “Flavors of Japan.” She was named a laureate of the San Francisco Public Library in 2002. Her latest book “Broad Stripes Bright Stars,” co-authored with designer Kit Hinrichs and photographer Terry Heffernan, will be released by bookstores in December, in time for America’s 250th anniversary. She is a sansei (third generation) whose family was interned in Jerome and Rohwer, Arkansas, during the war. Her father, who was born in Hawaii, served with the 442nd 100th in Italy. He was drafted from the camps, even though he was 38 years old and had two children. 
Speaker: Sid Kobashigawa (Will be rescheduled)Honolulu Go ClubDate and Time: This event will be rescheduled in the future. Discussion Summary: The Game of Go at Honouliuli Internment Camp This presentation will begin with a short description of the game of Go and its strategy. It will then cover the history of Go in Japan from its arrival in the 6th century to the present. Upon its introduction into Japan, the game was first played by court nobility then eventually spread to the samurai class and then to the general population. The game enjoyed institutional support by the Tokugawa Shoguns from the 17th to 19th centuries and the Shoguns gave the strongest Go player a governmental position with a stipend. Professional Go players emerged in the 20th century with major corporations sponsoring Go tournaments much like corporations sponsor tennis and golf tournaments in the West. Kobashigawa will then cover the history of Go in Hawaii from the time of the arrival of Japanese immigrants to the outbreak of the war with Japan, ending with the discussion of the significance of Go at the Honouliuli Internment Camp as well as all the mainland interment camps. Two Honouliuli internees will be highlighted. Both were Japanese Americans born in Hawaii, interned at Honouliuli, then sent to mainland interment camps and, of course, played Go during their internment days. Go is also a popular game in Korea, although it is unknown if the 2,700 Korean POWs played it while incarcerated. Biography: Sid Kobashigawa spent 16 years of teaching the class "Buddhist Philosophy and the Game of Go" at Punahou School to over 180 local students each year. "Voices Behind Barbed Wire" Film Screening (feat. Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra Performance) (Will be rescheduled)Pearl Harbor National Memorial TheaterDate and Time: This event will be rescheduled in the future. Click here for the map to find the theater and click here for directions to the park. Though this event is free to the public, please note there is a $7 parking fee for the Pearl Harbor National Memorial parking lots. About the Event: In partnership with the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra (HSO), Kinetic Productions, and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i, a live musical performance by HSO concertmaster Iggy Jang and cellist Joshua Nakazawa will welcome audiences as part of a screening for "Voices Behind Barbed Wire" a one hour documentary which tells the story of Japanese-Americans living in Hawaiʻi after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and how their families were affected by martial law. A violin that was used at Honouliuli Internment Camp is the inspiration for this special HSO performance. This special film screening will be followed by a panel session, including Ryan Kawamoto, the Director of the film, Karen Murashige whose father was incarcerated at Honouliuli and whose violin is featured, and a member of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Ryan Kawamoto Ryan Kawamoto is a television and film director based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i represented by Kinetic Productions. “Voices Behind Barbed Wire: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” presented by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi was awarded a 2020 Preservation Honor Award by the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation. His most recent documentary, “Removed by Force: The Eviction of Hawaiʻi’s Japanese Americans During WWII,” received a Gold Telly at the 46th Annual Telly Awards in the category of Film History. In 2012, he wrote and directed the documentary, "The Untold Story,” the first full length documentary produced about WWII incarceration in Hawaiʻi. Ryan wrote and directed other documentaries including, “Gannenmono: Hawaiʻi’s First Japanese Immigrants.” And “Honouliuli: Hawaiʻi’s Hidden Internment Camp.” Ryan Kawamoto is a Yonsei (fourth generation) Japanese American born, raised, and residing in Hawai‘i 
Honouliuli Traveling Pop-Up Exhibit: Hawaii State LibraryHawaii State LibraryDate: All of November, 2025, Hawaii State Library, 478 S King St, Honolulu, HI 96813, open during library hours. About the Event: For the entire month of November, the Hawaii State Library will be the home of Honouliuli National Historic Site's traveling exhibit. Visit the library to read up on the history of Honouliuli and what work has been done on the site since its discovery. For a comprehensive list of literature related to Honouliuli and Japanese American incarceration, please check out our Recommended Reading List. 
Honouliuli Monthly Bookstore Educational ItemPearl Harbor National Memorial Gift ShopDate and Location: November 2025, 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI, 96818 About the Event: The Honouliuli National Historic Site bookstore is located in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial bookstore. The bookstore, which carries items beyond just books, provides visitors with a range of interpretive and educational materials about Honouliuli. The income generated from these items supports important historic preservation, ongoing research, visitor interpretation, natural and cultural resources management, and educational programs at the park. To find other ways to help support the park, explore the drop down menu under the Get Involved section of the navigation banner. |
Last updated: October 28, 2025