Consul General of Japan Yasushi Misawa honored members of the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation on Nov. 18 for the organization’s efforts in promoting relations between Japan and Hawai‘i.
The JWSF was formed in 1954 as an educational and service organization to promote friendship between the United States and Japan, cultivate fellowship among members and encourage members to engage in community service.
The organization’s biggest project to date was opening of Hale Aumoa, a care home for elderly women. JWSF eventually merged its efforts with Kuakini Medical Center, which was then building a progressive health care facility. The plans included a care home for elderly men, called Kuakini Home. Kuakini Home became a coed facility and is now housed on the second floor of the Hale Pulama Mau building, which is adjacent to the hospital. Kuakini Home opened its doors on April 10, 1980.
JWSF’s community efforts are focused in areas of gerontology and geriatrics, with an emphasis on women. They have exceeded the $1 million mark in fundraising for and donations to Kuakini Home and other geriatric facilities.
