15,000,000 Yen from Okinawa Prefecture

With the help of the leadership of the Hawaii Okinawa Plaza Fundraising Committee in Okinawa, no stone was left unturned in expressing HUOA’s story and asking of support for the Hawaii Okinawa Plaza Project.  This included requests and visits to government such as Okinawa’s forty-one municipalities: Cities, Towns and Villages, their Mayors and administration.  Included in these visits were requests to the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG).  OPG and its administrators worked diligently with leadership in Hawaii to confirm project parameters, funding sources, construction timelines and project feasibility.  The Hawaii Okinawa Plaza project was included in Okinawa Prefecture’s budget, and subsequently a subsidy of 15,000,000 Yen was provided to pay for the red clay tiles used on the building roof mansard, mimicking the architectural roof materials used at the Hawaii Okinawa Center and in traditional buildings in Okinawa.

Countless hours and efforts were dedicated by many at OPG to help with the subsidy applications, update reports and lobbying efforts.  Site visits and monitoring of construction progress also was a critical element of funding.  In 2015, then Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, OPG members and many from Okinawa participated in the Ground Breaking and Blessing.  In 2018, over 400 people from Okinawa, including representatives from OPG attended the Grand Opening Celebration of the Hawaii Okinawa Plaza.  We truly appreciate the heartfelt support of OPG and everyone in Okinawa