Japan Studies Collection: BLOG/News

1925 Historical photo of Waipahu Japanese Language School

A newly-added resource to the Hawaii Japanese Language School Textbook Collection at the Asia Collection Department is a 28-inch long, 96-year-old historical photo. The photo captures a group of teachers and supporters at the Waipahu Japanese Language School on the celebration day for its new building in August 1925.

The photo was originally acquired by the Center for Okinawan Studies (COS). Dr. Masato Ishida, the COS Director, donated it so that the picture will be better preserved and with the hope that the UHM Library could make it more widely accessible. The Preservation Paper Conservation Lab carefully flattened the tightly rolled up photo while the Map Collection skillfully digitized and made it accessible via eVols https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10524/63855

In 1927, two years after the photo was taken, the Hawaii Hōchi ハワイ報知, a local Japanese language newspaper, featured a photo of the language school graduates and teachers in front of the new school building.

From the Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection Index. The original is available from the UHM Library microfilms.

The original photo is now housed in the Asia Locked Press with the Hawaii Japanese Language School Textbook Collection. If you would like to learn more, please visit the Hawaii Japanese Language Textbook Collection LibGuides: https://guides.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/jtext/j-textbooks/hongwanji