By James Tabafunda
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Christine Ogura, superintendent of Honouliuli National Historic Site (HNHS) in Hawai’i, traveled through the Seattle area earlier this month as the World War II incarceration site she oversees commemorates its 10th anniversary as a unit of the National Park Service (NPS).
During her visit, Ogura walked the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial (BIJAEM). Calling her first meeting with an incarceration camp survivor named Lily “a very touching moment,” she said, “Just being able to hear directly from her was just a really incredible experience.”
Christine Ogura, superintendent of Honouliuli National HIstoric Site (Photo by James Tabafunda)
The significance of HNHS
HNHS is the largest and longest-operating World War II site, where more than 400 Japanese Americans and European immigrants were detained under martial law—not Executive Order 9066, as on the mainland. Opened in March 1943, the secluded 160-acre compound, known as “Jigoku-Dani” or “Hell Valley,” was the first incarceration camp created after Pearl Harbor was attacked. It confined more than 4,000 prisoners of war from Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Italy, Taiwan, and the Philippines until its closure in 1946. The site—not currently open to the public—stands as a dark reminder of wartime prejudice and hardship, with deep effects on Hawai’i’s communities and generations of Japanese Americans.
The BIJAEM is an open-air site featuring a 276-foot Story Wall made of red cedar, granite, and basalt, inscribed with the names of all 276 Japanese and Japanese American residents forced from their homes during World War II.
“By the time March 30th (1942) rolled around, they were forced to leave that day. There were 227 that actually boarded the ferry from Eagledale Ferry Dock for Seattle, where they got on a train to Manzanar (incarceration camp in California),” said Jennifer Burbank, the memorial’s first NPS ranger, recalling the traumatic day for the first Japanese American community removed under Executive Order 9066.
Ogura describes the resilience of HNHS’s prisoners as a memorable testament to hope and ingenuity.
“Despite being taken from their homes and facing relentless boredom and harsh conditions in what was called ‘Jigoku-dani,’ or ‘Hell Valley,’ people found ways to create beauty and joy,” she said.
Those incarcerated crafted toys for children and composed music and poetry. Masao “Sam” Nishimura fashioned rings from toothbrush handles. Ogura said, “If you look at them, they’re this beautiful, gorgeous red like a ruby. The ingenuity, the innovation, and he was a tailor.”
“To me, that is a great example of hope and resilience through this hardship. I think that just is so telling of the human spirit and resilience of getting through tough times.”
“There are a lot of very different layers of what happened there (at HNHS) that makes it unique, and that’s why it’s important to conserve this history on a national scale. It’s a part of the American experience and American history.”
Rediscovered in 2002 by volunteers from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i, HNHS’s historical significance sparked a wave of grassroots advocacy, partnerships, and academic research that raised awareness about the site’s legacy. On Feb. 24, 2015, President Barack Obama established Honouliuli as a National Monument through a presidential proclamation, with its designation as a National Historic Site following in 2019 under NPS stewardship. Today, 123 acres of the original 160-acre camp receive federal protection.
More than 50 community organizations, partners, and educators have played a key role in Honouliuli’s interpretation and commemoration. Their collaborative efforts have launched education centers, public exhibits, curriculum materials, and community events aimed at promoting remembrance, education, and healing.
The 10th anniversary of HNHS marks a milestone in linking the site’s wartime history to contemporary discussions of social justice and remembrance. Through yearlong in-person and virtual programs—including exhibits, speaker series, a community art exhibit, tours, and school initiatives—this commemoration emphasizes the importance of preserving the site’s stories to honor those wrongly incarcerated. These reflections are especially relevant as communities continue to explore historic injustices and strive for a better understanding of civil liberties. The anniversary invites new generations to engage with the site’s legacy, ensuring its lessons endure.
Ogura’s background and vision
Ogura grew up in the Moiliili neighborhood of O’ahu, the daughter of Japanese immigrant parents.
“To know that (wartime incarceration camps) is what happened not more than 20 miles from where I was born and raised was really impactful to me,” she said.
A 1993 graduate of Punahou School, Ogura earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Claremont McKenna College and a master’s in natural resource policy and behavior from the University of Michigan.
She began her federal service as a legislative assistant for the late Rep. Patsy Mink. Ogura later spent 14 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, dedicating her career to conservation of habitat and endangered species, before joining the NPS. With more than 25 years of professional experience, she now leads HNHS.
Ogura’s vision for HNHS is to expand public understanding of the incarceration of Japanese Americans in Hawai’i during World War II. Her educational mission prioritizes broadening outreach, presenting historical facts, fostering youth participation, and leveraging digital tools to preserve the site’s legacy for future generations. She said the injustices suffered at HNHS were the result of wartime hysteria, racial prejudice, and political failures—a lesson she hopes Hawai’i’s youth will learn, ensuring the site’s history is not lost.
Building collaborative partnerships with Japanese American organizations, historians, educators, and media in Seattle is an important part of Ogura’s leadership. She credits her connections with groups on Bainbridge Island and the greater Seattle region for developing her perspective and strengthening cultural and educational ties. She says these partnerships create valuable opportunities for commemorating shared history, community engagement, and making Honouliuli’s story relevant for future generations.
Connections with Seattle
During her visit, Ogura has seen Seattle’s vital role in preserving Japanese American World War II history, spotlighting the city’s honored Nisei veterans organizations, deep connections to wartime incarceration, and remembrance institutions as essential partners. She said that Seattle’s Nisei Veterans Committee and museums offer models for engagement and collaboration, inspiring similar efforts in Hawai’i. She pointed out the shared bonds between Seattle and Honolulu Nisei communities, which include decorated veterans and families of both camp detainees.
Ogura’s itinerary included stops at the historic Panama Hotel and the Wing Luke Museum in the city’s Chinatown-International District. She also visited the Japanese American Citizens League’s Remembrance Gallery at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, formerly the Puyallup Assembly Center, where more than 7,500 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.
“This is a part of the larger American history experience. Honouliuli is one site that tells the story and to be able to connect with other partners outside of Hawai’i maybe on a regional scale or a national scale has been very wonderful, a great learning opportunity to learn about their work and how there might be partnerships and connections,” she said.
What’s next for HNHS
HNHS is starting a multi-year general management plan process designed to shape its future with active public and media collaboration. Ogura calls it “a process rooted in community and partner engagement” and stresses that “we are about to go out to the community and the public to get their ideas for public use and facilities.” The plan will address critical issues including visitor access, site facilities, and preservation, with ongoing public input and media engagement ensuring it reflects the needs of all stakeholders.
Ogura sees important opportunities in integrating Seattle’s Japanese American wartime incarceration into HNHS’s interpretive framework.
“Working with Seattle partners allows us to place Honouliuli’s history within a national context,” Ogura said, noting that long-term efforts will connect local stories in Hawai’i with those from Seattle to create a “unified understanding of World War II incarceration and its impact on Japanese American communities nationwide.”
“Our goal is to honor shared experiences, foster national reflection, and ensure these lessons resonate across generations,” she said, highlighting the value of collaborative storytelling and community education. Ogura said that HNHS serves everyone—from students and researchers to the general public—emphasizing that the conservation of this history is a collective responsibility.
“Everybody has a role to play in learning about and helping educate others about this issue,” she said. “We, the Park Service, cannot do this alone. We need the American public. This is our collective story.”
Broader implications
Amid today’s polarized climate, remembering the incarceration of Japanese Americans remains important for safeguarding democracy in the United States. The stories from sites like HNHS show how uncontrolled government power and racial prejudice threaten the civil liberties of all Americans. Preserving and sharing these histories show that democracy requires constant vigilance, basic freedoms, and confronting social injustice.
Ogura’s hope is that visitors and partners “see themselves in this history.” She said, “I hope it sparks some curiosity and interest and questions for themselves, as Americans.”
For more information on Honouliuli National Historic Site’s 10th anniversary, go to www.nps.gov/hono.