The Japanese Community Association of Hawaii invites the public to join in celebrating the Ireito Monument Silver Jubilee at 2 p.m. on Sunday at a memorial service at Alae Cemetery in Hilo. ADVERTISING The Japanese Community Association of Hawaii invites
The Japanese Community Association of Hawaii invites the public to join in celebrating the Ireito Monument Silver Jubilee at 2 p.m. on Sunday at a memorial service at Alae Cemetery in Hilo.
The observance will mark the the 75th anniversary of the Ireito, which is a monument to commemorate the deceased first-generation Japanese immigrants. It was erected and unveiled by the late state Sen. Sanji Abe in 1939.
“The majority of the Issei Japanese government-contracted sugar cane plantation workers led very harsh lives in Hawaii to support their second-generation children,” explained association President Hiroshi Suga.
“Senator Abe deeply appreciated the efforts of the many deceased immigrants from Japan who made Hawaii a better place for their descendants,” Suga said.
