January 2024 — Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center celebrates 2024 with a new exhibit of more than 30 artifacts and 25 photos from its vast archive. Honoring the legacy of Lānaʻi’s Japanese community, this exclusive exhibition features a first-hand glimpse of pieces from the island’s Japanese families. Many of these treasures have never been viewed by the public.
The exhibit celebrates Lānaʻi's evolution as a multi-cultural community, as told through artifacts of Japanese immigrant families that span generations and will remain on display through Spring 2024. This marks a rare opportunity for the public to witness a curated selection of historically significant items, shedding light on Japanese history and community.
Kodomo no tame ni Exhibit (translated as for the sake of the children) honors the sacrifices made by families to ensure a better future for the next generation. The Issei who came to Lānaʻi left their lives behind in search of a better future for themselves and their families. In spite of the hardships of starting a new life in a foreign land, surviving the Great Depression and enduring anti-Japanese sentiment during the World War II era, Japanese immigrants created a vibrant and close-knit community and an enduring legacy for their children.
Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center aims to expand its archive and welcomes historic or family photographs. This exhibit is part of the center’s archival program and ongoing digitization efforts to preserve and protect its history.
Support for this exhibit is provided by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority through the Community Enrichment program. Learn more about this exhibit on KHON and listen to an in-depth interview about the exhibit on Hawaii Public Radio.