Compassion & Continuity

Our Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial assistance to deserving full-time students pursuing a post-secondary degree in business, international relations, or Japanese language or culture.

Culture & Connection

Grand Torii Gate

Grand Torii Gate

Moiliili Triangle Park

History

The Great Chinatown Fire of 1900, deliberately set to combat an outbreak of bubonic plague, destroyed businesses and homes as brisk winds sent it out of control. Of the 6,000 residents left without shelter, food, clothing and supplies, more than half were Japanese immigrants.

Thirty-seven Japanese merchants came to their aid, forming the Honolulu Nippon Jin Shonin Doshikai (Honolulu Japanese Merchants Association), which would later become the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce. Today the HJCC is one of Hawai’i’s leading business groups, building our island community through commerce and relationships in Japan.

From plantation workers in the fields hoping for a better life to the merchants who rebuilt their businesses over the ashes of the Great Fire, ours is a history of triumph over adversity. This legacy was reinforced by our heroic Nisei soldiers who returned home after World War II and used the GI Bill to earn college degrees then helped our territory and state progress by expanding businesses and building political influences that changed lives.

With deep gratitude for all that previous generations have made possible and for the well being of future generations, we continued the legacy by strengthening our relationships in Japan, creating a student exchange program and fostering the growth of tourism. It is our hope that the next generations will take full advantage of educational opportunities, learn from the lessons and triumphs of the past and become inspired by their heritage as they find their own path along life’s journey.

Who We Are

The Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce Charitable Corporation (HJCC-CC) is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization established in 2001 and organized exclusively for charitable scientific, literary, religious and educational purposes. Over the past we have funded projects and events in support of the Taishakyo Mission, Japan-America Society of Hawaii, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i, the Mo’ili’ili Community Center and the Hawaii for Hiroshima fundraiser.

Board of Directors

  • Tyler Tokioka, Chair of the Board
  • Gordon Kagawa, Vice-Chair
  • Wayne Ishihara, President/Treasurer/Secretary
  • Dave Erdman, Director
  • Arnold Hirotsu, Director
  • Wayne Kirihara, Director
  • Candice Naito, Director
  • Brian Nishida, Director
  • Myles Shibata, Director
  • Ronald Ushijima, Director
  • Jon Tsukamoto, HJCC Chair of the Board (annually appointed)
  • Melanie Okazaki, HJCC Immediate Past Chair (annually appointed)

Charter Officers and Board of Directors

  • Robert Fujii, Chairperson/President
  • Howard Hanada, Vice-President
  • Ronald Ushijima, Secretary/Treasurer
  • Robert Fujii, Director
  • Joichi Saito, Director
  • Ronald Migita, Director

Past Chairpersons of the Board

  • Robert Fujii (2001-2005)
  • Howard Hanada (2005-2007)
  • Wayne Toma (2007-2008)
  • Glenn Nakamura (2008-2014)
  • Sidney Hamada (2014-2018)

Capability & Care

Knowledge is the key that will unlock future opportunities.

The Torii Gate

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce (HJCC) in 2000, a half sized replica of the Vermillion Grand Torii Gate, which stands at Itsukushima Shrine in Japan, was presented to Hawai‘i by Hiroshima prefecture, its city and Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In tribute to this relationship, the gate was set with a Hiroshima orientation in Mō‘ili‘ili Triangle Park across from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i.

In a partnership with the City & County of Honolulu’s Adopt-A-Sculpture Program, the HJCC Charitable Corporation adopted the Torii Gate in 2008, literally making us the gatekeeper in support of the Chamber’s mission to promote business, goodwill and cultural exchange between Hawaii and Japan.

Educational Forum

In 2009, the HJCC-CC provided its first world-class educational forum featuring Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman of the Inamori Foundation, who shared his valuable and insightful management insights to small, medium, and large business enterprise leaders in Honolulu. The HJCC-CC continues to seek more opportunities such as the Inamori Forum and welcomes your suggestions or contacts.

Community Fund

In 2016, we formally created a Community Fund to consider donations for initiatives aligned with our objectives. We recently donated to the Hawai‘i for Hiroshima fundraiser to benefit the victims of the Hiroshima flooding in 2018.

Beneficiary organizations who have received financial support from the Community Fund program are:

  • The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i
  • Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
  • Mō‘ili‘ili Hongwanji Mission
  • Mō‘ili‘ili Community Center
  • Hiroshima Disaster Relief Fund
  • Japan America Society of Hawai‘i
  • Honolulu Museum of Art School

Scholarship Fund

The generations before us placed great emphasis on education because they recognized knowledge as the key that would unlock future opportunities. By understanding the past, gaining new insight, broadening perspectives and exchanging ideas in the pursuit of higher learning, our young people become more capable and caring citizens of Hawai‘i and the global community.

For this purpose, our Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial assistance to deserving full-time students pursuing a post-secondary degree in business, international relations, or Japanese language or culture. They will become tomorrow’s leader and entrepreneurs, exploring relationships in a global marketplace. As an active member of our island community, the HJCC Charitable Corporation is proud to be their gateway to a world of opportunity.

As a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, working with the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, we created the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund to help deserving Hawai‘i students overcome the financial barrier keeping them from their dreams of a post-secondary education. A fundraising goal was established to support the next generations in meeting the opportunities and challenges before them.

Like the Torii Gate, our Scholarship Fund has strategic orientation, one that is firmly grounded in the past and directed toward the future. It stands as a tribute to the cultural traditions and values that define us while connecting us to new experiences and the promise of the future.

You can make an online donation direct to the scholarship fund by clicking here. Or you may mail in a donation payable to: Hawai‘i Community Foundation, 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813. Please note in the memo line: HJCC Charitable Corporation Scholarship Fund.