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Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki and his delegation join Hamilton Library staff during a special visit.
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki paid a special visit to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hamilton Library on August 31, during his trip to Honolulu for the 43rd Annual Okinawan Festival and the 125th anniversary of Okinawans in Hawaiʻi.
Accompanied by his wife, Chieko, and an entourage, the governor toured exhibits throughout the library and viewed rare materials from the Hawaiian Pacific, Maps, Hawley and Hawaiʻi Karate Museum Collections. He expressed particular interest in the karate holdings, reflecting the deep cultural ties between Okinawa and Hawaiʻi.
Lynette Teruya showcases Okinawan collections at Hamilton Library.
“It was a great honor to welcome Gov. Tamaki, his wife and the delegation from Okinawa to Hamilton Library to see our Okinawan collection,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro. “Our connection to the local Okinawan community and to Okinawa is long standing and represents our rich shared history. We will continue to build on our shared collaboration and know that our collection will help build understanding of Okinawan history and culture here, in Okinawa, and with the global diaspora.”
Tamaki thanked Guthro and presented him with a traditional Ryukyuan woven textile and 2026 Okinawan calendars. In return, Guthro gifted the governor an executive notebook embossed with the Hamilton Library logo.
The visit was coordinated by Okinawan studies librarian, Lynette Teruya, who prepared a presentation in Japanese.
“I am grateful to the Okinawa Prefectural Government for arranging to have Gov. Tamaki and some of the other officials come to visit our library,” said Teruya. “We got to share some of the most valued treasures in the Okinawan collections at Hamilton Library, and they were genuinely interested in our collections.”
For more, go to the Hamilton Library website.
AloJapan.com