The husband-and-wife team of Arnold Hiura and Eloise Hiura have been appointed executive director and executive assistant, respectively, of the Hilo-based Hawai‘i Japanese Center. Arnold, a former editor of The Hawai‘i Herald and the author of several books on local food and food culture, brings a wealth of knowledge of Hawai‘i’s Japanese American history and experience in writing and curating exhibits to his new position. He was the curator for the Japanese American National Museum’s traveling exhibition, “From Bento to Mixed Plate: Americans of Japanese Ancestry in Multicultural Hawai‘i.” Eloise, who works with Arnold on many of his projects, is also a jewelry artist and has previous experience organizing promotional events.
“We are, indeed, delighted to have Arnold and Elo come on board to our Hawai‘i Japanese Center,” said board chair Wayne Kamitaki. “We sincerely hope the Hawai‘i Japanese Center will serve as a hub for Arnold and Elo to communicate and share their vast knowledge.”
The center was established in 2002 to honor the legacy of the Japanese immigrants. It recently hosted the traveling exhibition, “Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts.” Currently on display is “The Spirit of Shinbo,” which was curated by Hawai‘i Japanese Center board member Pat Okumura. The exhibit chronicles the quiet endurance and perseverance of the early Japanese immigrants to Hawai‘i island from the 1800s to the 1930s. It features numerous photographs, documents and artifacts from the center’s collection.
The center is also planning a number of Japanese cultural events for 2015. For more information on the Hawai‘i Japanese Center, visit www.hawaiijapanesecenter.com.
