Izu Oshima

Hawai`i County’s first relationship is with the island of Izu Oshima (Big Island) which has black sand beaches, waterfalls, and an active volcano Mt. Mihara. Popular exports include a very fine grain salt much sought after by chefs and camellia oil used not only as a hair product but as a rust preventive on garden tools. Gifts to Lili`uokalani Gardens from Oshima include a monument to the 30 year anniversary of the Sister Island relationship and a stone lantern placed on the Turtle Island in Waihonu.

Nago City

Nago City in Okinawa is known as the first place in Japan where cherry trees bloom each year. There is a Cherry Blossom Festival similar to the one held in Waimea. The haari boats at Lili`uokalani Gardens are a gift from Nago City. They are used in Hilo’s biennial Haari Boat Race. In alternate years, a team from Hawai`i Island goes to Okinawa for races. This practice was suspended during the pandemic years. There are hopes it will be revived soon.

Yurihama

Yurihama holds a Hawaiian festival every July, hosting halau from Japan and Hawai`i.

Shibukawa

Shibukawa is considered the belly button of Japan much like Mauna Kea is considered the piko of the Pacific Ocean. The annual Ikaho Hawaiian Festival features winning halau from Hilo’s Merrie Monarch Festival. The winner of the Ikaho festival is invited to Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo. The photo of many people on the Kushi bridge shows a hula halau from Ikaho visiting Liliʻuokalani Gardens. Visitors from Shibukawa and Ikaho planted a pine tree in the Sister City Grove of Lili`uokalani Gardens. Another pine tree was planted in 2010 by the late Mayor Billy Kenoi in memory of Mayor Jiichi Kagure of Shibukawa City.

Sumoto

Sumoto students and Hilo High School students have participated in a student exchange every summer since 2000. Sumoto City is famous for Kobe beef, Naruto oranges, and Awaji onions. Visitors from Sumoto City planted a black pine at the Sister City Grove in Lili`uokalani Gardens.

Kumejima

Kumejima in Okinawa has a deep-sea water pipe much like Kona’s Natural Energy Lab. Both have developed ocean thermal energy conversion. There is a stone lantern from Okinawa in Lili`uokalani Gardens downhill from the east entry.

Hatsukaichi

Hatsukaichi Chamber of Commerce and Industry established a Sister Chamber relationship with Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce as a number of businesses and community leaders of Hawai`i Island have roots tracing back to Hiroshima Prefecture.

Hiroshima

Sister relationships exist between the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Hilo Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and between Hiroshima Rotary and Hilo Rotary. Along with the government of Hiroshima Prefecture, these relationships are represented by black pines planted in the Sister City Grove at Lili`uokalani Gardens. A large Kasuga lantern from Hiroshima was gifted to Hawai`i County in 1968. It sits under the large monkeypod tree at the east entrance to the gardens.