The Japanese Community Association of Hawaii will hold its annual Ireito Memorial Service at Alae Cemetery on Sunday, August 25, beginning at 2 p.m.
This commemoration marks the 85th year of the annual Ireisai Hoyo memorial service.
With this service we would like to honor our Issei, the first generation Japanese immigrants.
These indentured plantation workers endured a hard life in Hawaii to give us a better life and better opportunities for the future.
The spirit of sincere appreciation for the courage and sacrifice of those who laid the foundation for the freedoms and opportunities we take for granted today. We value our immigrants as an essential part of life.
“A memorial that pays tribute to our pioneers of immigration, honors those who have gone before us, and provides a sense of closeness and belonging to those who are still here,” JCAH President Lincoln Ashida said in a press release. “We also honor two Japanese naval cadets who died at sea and found their final resting place in Alae Cemetery.”
The Ireito Memorial was the inspiration and initiated by the late Senator of the Territory of Hawaii, the Honorable Sanji Abe. Senator Abe recognized the selfless contribution of immigrants, was grateful for their achievements, and wanted to offer them comfort. This gratitude is expressed through the Ireito Memorial, which now stands in the Alae Cemetery.
The monument was inaugurated on August 20, 1939. The marble monument was cast in Japan on August 7, 1938.
The total height is 14 feet and 8 inches and it weighs about 15 tons. The ball on top of the monument symbolizes the universal faith of all.
The memorial service is a joint effort of the Japanese Community Association of Hawaii and the Big Island Buddhist Federation.
Reverend Marcos J. Sawada, pastor of Higashi Hongwanji Mission, and Reverend Jigaku Takenouchi, pastor of Taishoji Mission, will jointly lead the memorial service.
