Honolulu is the capital city of the state of Hawaii. Hawaii became a US territory in 1900 and became an official US state in 1959. Honolulu was declared a city in 1850 and has been a central part of the state.In present day it still has a deep connection with Japan prior to WWII. In an article War Memories across the Pacific Japanese Visitors at the Arizona Memorial author Yujin Yaguchi talks with Japanese tourists in Honolulu at the Arizona Memorial. They explain that Honolulu, HI is very similar to Japan describing it as “pretty much the same” in relation to Japan. Due to economical reasons Waikiki is arranged to please Japanese tourists. Today Honolulu is a very popular tourist destination for people from Japan. An important part of the economy of Honolulu is tourism from around the world.
Honolulu in World War II
Honolulu is an economically and culturally important part of Hawaii. It is also very historically important. It is home to the US military naval base Pearl Harbor where the attack by Japanese forces occurred on December 7, 1941. This place will forever hold important significance in terms of history and the formation of social war memory of WWII. Yaguchi explains that Pearl Harbor also had significance to Native Hawaiians before the attack that is not often talked about. Before the militarization of the infamous harbor, it was important to Native Hawaiians because it was a sacred fishing ground. In the present day it still has a deep connection with Japan. In an article War Memories across the Pacific Japanese Visitors at the Arizona Memorial author Yujin Yaguchi talks with Japanese tourists in Honolulu at the Arizona Memorial. They explain that Honolulu, HI is very similar to Japan. Due to economical reasons Waikiki is arranged to please Japanese tourists. Today Honolulu is a very popular tourist destination for people from Japan. An important part of the economy of Honolulu is tourism from around the world. Diamond Head is a dormant volcano and a popular tourist destination. People often go atop Diamond Head to see the beautiful view of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. The volcano has historical and cultural significance to Native Hawaiians. It’s original name is Le’ahi. Images of this beautiful destination will often pop up when looking up Honolulu. Another popular site is the Iolani Palace. This shows you the history of the Hawaiian Monarch that existed before it became a US territory.
References
- Chan, G. and Feeser, A. (2006). LĒ‘ahi: Diamond Head. In Waikiki: A History of Forgetting and Remembering (pp. 11-23). University of Hawai’i Press. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wqr1w.6
- Kemp, J. (1991). Honolulu, Hawaii and Diamond Head crater with rainbow, facing Southeast [Digital Image]. Wikimedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Search&limit=20&offset=20&profile=default&search=Honolulu%2C+Hawaii&advancedSearch-current={}&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:Honolulu_diamondhead.jpg
- Linsdell, R. (2014). Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. [Digital image]. Wikimedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=570350
- Map of Hawaii highlighting Honolulu County. (2006). [Digital map]. Wikimedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=570350
- Tachihata, C. (1994). Hawaiian Sovereignty. The Contemporary Pacific, 6(1), 202-210. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/23701596
- Tessmer, E. (2019). View from Diamond Head across Maunalua Bay to Hawaii Kai [Digital image]. Wikimedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79843879
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019, October 22). Honolulu. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Honolulu
- Yaguchi, Y. (2005). War Memories across the Pacific Japanese Visitors at the Arizona Memorial, Comparative American Studies An International Journal. 234-249.
