LIHU’E — Kaua’i Museum Director Chucky Boy Chock watched the closed Lihu’e Civic Center Thursday afternoon.
“Students are supposed to be in the lecture hall,” Chock said. “Good thing I pre-recorded my presentation.”
Chock was supposed to be part of the first Zoom classes for Project Moriyama Yume (translated as “dream”) which was taking place in the Mo’ikeha Building’s conference room with Mayor Derek Kawakami and Project Coordinators Art and Michiru Umezu from Sakura. System and Zoom Technician and Videographer Ryland Balbin.
Under the constraints of the pandemic, the five-day educational exchange program between Kaua’i and Moriyama, Japan has been reduced to just two days and limited to video exchanges via Zoom. Thursday marked the return of Project Yume, which hadn’t happened in two years.
“Moriyama City has been one of Kaua’i’s sister cities since 1975,” Art Umezu said. “The Moriyama Yume Project was created in 2019 with three high school students visiting Kaua’i and taking classes at Kaua’i High School.”
The pandemic forced people to stay at home and Moriyama Mayor Kazuhiro Miyamoto created the intensive two-day online educational exchange which ended on Friday afternoon.
During the exchange, seven Moriyama students learned Kaua’i history (including Prince Kuhio, which was celebrated on a holiday Friday), introduction to the Hawaiian language, hula, mele and conversational English. A virtual tour of Kaua’i and a panoramic photo gallery of Kaua’i on video were also presented.
Art Umezu said the program was inspired by Miyamoto’s three trips to Kaua’i since his first trip in 2012.
“He was overwhelmed with Kaua’i hospitality when he and his delegation participated in the ‘ukulele, singing and hula class hosted by Uncle Herman Paleka and the Kaua’i kupuna at the Lihu’e Neighborhood Center “, said Umezu. “When he returned to Moriyama, he wanted people, especially children, to experience aloha like he had on his trip to Kaua’i. He invited Kaua’i Rainbow, a hula group with two ukulele musicians, to perform at nine elementary schools in Moriyama, a feat the group accomplished by performing for more than 5,000 children.
The seeds of the Moriyama Yume Project took root during Moriyama’s visit in 2016, when he met the Rotary Club of Kaua’i and Kaua’i students who studied at Moriyama as part of a year-long student exchange that began in the 1970s and has continued for over 30 years.
In 2019, the first group of Moriyama students were selected in an English language proficiency competition sponsored by the Moriyama International Friendship Association, Moriayama Education Board, and Moriyama City.
The Moriyama Yume Project is supported by the Kaua’i Mayor’s Office, the County Office of Economic Development, the Kaua’i District Office of the Department of Education, and the Kaua’i Museum.
Kaua’i participants in the Moriyama Yume Project include Chock, retired Kaua’i High School teacher James Yamamoto, musician Nick Castillo, hula dancer Ashlee Miyashiro, who was a member of the Kaua’i Rainbow who participated in 2013 , Kapa’a High School English teacher Kara Higa, Hawaiian language teacher Kekoa Tango and Kate Mie Nakamura who lead the photo gallery tour.
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Denis Fujimotowriter and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or [email protected].
