News Release

September events for Honouliuli National Historic Site 10th Anniversary Commemoration

News Release Date: August 28, 2025 WAIPAHU, Hawaii – Honouliuli National Historic Site, as part of its year-long 10th anniversary celebration, is hosting a series of events and activities every month through January 2026.
 
The park and its over 55 partners will honor and preserve this history by featuring different aspects of the park -- past, present, and future -- to connect and engage the community to this history. The park tells the story of incarceration, martial law, and prisoners of war in Hawaii during World War II. The incarceration site, opened in 1943, was the largest and longest used incarceration site in Hawaii where U.S. residents and citizens of Japanese and European ancestry were unjustly detained. The camp also held over 4,000 prisoners of war including Okinawans, Koreans, Japanese, and Italians.
 
Events and activities are a mix of virtual and in-person and includes a speaker series, special tours, book events, pop-up exhibits, film screenings, panel sessions, musical performances, youth and school initiatives, and a statewide art exhibit. Many events will be free through the park’s partnership with its non-profit organization, Pacific Historic Parks.    
 
The latest information on all events and activities are on the park’s website, www.nps.gov/hono. Also visit the park’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/honouliulinps) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/honouliulinps). 
 
September events:
 
Virtual talk: Searching for my Grandfather’s Voice at Honouliuli. As the granddaughter of a Japanese American civilian who was incarcerated at Sand Island and Honouliuli, Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson has long sought to better understand her grandfather's story. Sharon inherited the shells her grandfather had collected during his incarceration. Her newest children's book, Shell Song, shares the story his shells carried across generations to her. Sharon will discuss her family story, her grandmother's poems and autobiography, her retellings of her grandfather's experience, and reflections on visiting Honouliuli National Historic Site in person.
When: Thursday, September 4 at 5:30 p.m.  
Where: This is a free virtual talk. However, registration is required to get the link for the talk. 

Presentation: Updates on Honouliuli National Historic Site. Honouliuli National Historic Site’s Outreach and Education Lead, Jian Shiraishi-Rzeszewicz, will be giving a 30-minute presentation at the Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library about the history of Honouliuli Internment Camp and how the National Park Service is stewarding the site for the benefit of future generations. Following the talk will be time for talking story and answering questions related to the park. The library will provide light refreshments.
When: Saturday, September 6 at 1:00 p.m.
Where: 3225 Salt Lake Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818
 
Book and keiki event: Meet Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, an author whose work is rooted in her Japanese American heritage but more broadly seeks to normalize all types of stories of underrepresented characters who don’t fit mainstream boxes. Her books Shell Song and The Mochi Makers are children's books that intersect the messages of the past with the hopes for future generations. Her book, Shell Song, is based on her grandfather, who was held at Honouliuli, and the shell collection she inherited from him. Come visit the store for a chance to speak with her about her experiences and written works as well as a shell focused keiki activity.
When: Saturday, September 20 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: daShop, 3565 Harding Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
 
Book and panel event: Meet authors Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson and Dr. Kelli Nakamura who will be sharing their works about Honouliuli National Historic Site. Sharon has both a children’s book and poetry anthology based on her incarcerated grandfather. Kelli will be debuting her book, Legacies of Incarceration, which provides a holistic view of the incarceration experience of Hawaii's Japanese by exploring the factors that shaped the circumstances of confinement on each island before, during, and after World War II.
When: Saturday, September 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: daShop, 3565 Harding Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
 
Book event: Meet Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, an author whose work is rooted in her Japanese American heritage but more broadly seeks to normalize all types of stories of underrepresented characters who don’t fit mainstream boxes. Her books Shell Song and The Mochi Makers are children's books that intersect the messages of the past with the hopes for future generations. Her book, Shell Song, is based on her grandfather, who was held at Honouliuli, and the shell collection she inherited from him. Come visit the store for a chance to speak with her about her experiences and written works.
When: Sunday, September 21 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Barnes & Noble, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd Ste 1272, Honolulu, HI 96814
 
Book and shell activities event: Meet author Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson as she shares her family history through her picture book Shell Song, which features the shell collection she inherited from her grandfather who was held at Honouliuli Internment Camp. This event will also feature the museum’s malacology department as they share rare shells from the museum collection and help visitors identify shells they wish to bring.  The Kāhuli Captive Rearing Research Center will also be open to view live rare native snails reared at Bishop Museum.  The park will also have a table at this event to provide information and help answer questions about this important site. Online registration available for this event.
When: Friday, September 26 at 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Where: Bishop Museum’s Atrium of Hawaiian Hall, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
 
Book and panel event: Join us at Native Books to meet poets Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson and Richard Hamasaki whose poems are featured in the Gate of Memory, a poetry anthology comprised of poems authored by descendants of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. They are joined by poet Ryan Oishi as part of a panel discussion on the power of poetry to heal.  
When: Saturday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Native Books, 1164 Nuuanu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96817
 
Honouliuli National Historic Site Traveling Pop-Up Exhibit: The Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library will be the home of Honouliuli National Historic Site’s traveling exhibit. Visit their library to learn about the history of Honouliuli and what work has been done on the site since its discovery.
When: Entire month of September
Where: 3225 Salt Lake Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818
 
Photos and videos are available for download.  The park and its partners are available for interviews and news segments.
 
Programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
 
-NPS-
 
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.