{"id":2883,"date":"2026-07-22T04:09:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T04:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2883"},"modified":"2026-07-22T04:09:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T04:09:06","slug":"hawaii-welcomes-4-japan-orphans-continuing-a-longstanding-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2883","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii welcomes 4 Japan orphans, continuing a longstanding tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Four young children from an orphanage in Japan are now in Hawaii, ready for an invaluable cultural exchange.<\/p>\n

Read more Spotlight Now: Gov. Green and Lt. Gov. Candidate John Choi discuss Hawaii priorities<\/a><\/p>\n

They arrived from Osaka\u2019s Holy Family Orphanage Tuesday. Members of the U.S. Army\u2019s 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment \u2014 the \u201cWolfhounds\u201d \u2014 greeted them with lei.<\/p>\n

Lt. Col. Dana Gingrich, the battalion commander, told the children they\u2019ve long been a source of purpose for soldiers assigned overseas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWherever the Wolfhound soldier goes, there is one constant, and it\u2019s you. The children of Holy Family home,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are what our soldiers and our Wolfhounds think back to. You are what brings compassion and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ariru, Yume, Yukitaka and Maato were selected through an application process that included an interview and an essay. Organizers said they hope the children return home with something deeper than English practice or a new cultural experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey feel love of the family because they stay in a host family,\u201d said Rika Hirata, president of Peace Bridge. \u201cSo back in Osaka, they\u2019re in a facility, and there\u2019s a lack of a real family feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Holy Family is home to about 80 children across a range of ages.<\/p>\n

The Wolfhounds\u2019 connection to the orphanage dates back to the U.S. occupation after WWII, when Master Sgt. Hugh O\u2019Reilly saw a need during a Christmas visit and began raising money to help. The fundraising tradition continued through the Korean War and their support continues to this day.<\/p>\n

The unit began hosting children from the orphanage in 1957. Over the next week and a half, the children will be immersed in Hawaiian culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cAloha. My name is Yukitaka,\u201d one child said as each shared a short message about being in Hawaii. \u201cI\u2019m excited to swim in the beautiful ocean in Hawaii,\u201d he added. \u201cI want to make lots of happy memories here in Hawaii.\u201d<\/p>\n

While staying with military host families, the children will visit the Waikiki Aquarium, KoAloha Ukulele, Kualoa Ranch and the Outrigger Canoe Club. They\u2019ll also spend a day at the Sheraton Waikiki and watch the Rock-A-Hula show before returning to Japan on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay your time here be filled with joy, new friendships, and incredibly wonderful memories. Know that you have many friends here and that you will always have an extended family in Ohana here in Hawaii,\u201d Hawaii\u2019s acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan said.<\/p>\n

Read more HECO issues renewable energy procurement for Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Maui<\/a><\/p>\n

Learn more about the program here.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Organizers said they hope the children return to Osaka\u2019s Holy Family Orphanage with something deeper than English practice or a new cultural experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nHawaii welcomes 4 Japan orphans, continuing a longstanding tradition - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2883\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hawaii welcomes 4 Japan orphans, continuing a longstanding tradition - 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