Story of Okumura Home
Boys From Famous Honolulu Institution Served
In World War II, Others Now In Korea
By The Late REV. TAKIE OKUMURA(Dictated two weeks before his death on Feb. 10, 1951, to his son, Umetaro)
I
This is our 56th Annual Report. Since returning from the Mainland late in August last year, I
have been ill and have been confined most of the time in Queen’s Hospital. Because of my illness,this year’s report has been unduly delayed.
Since May of last year, the work of the Home has been carried on in a splendid manner by myson, Umetaro, and his family. With the work in their hands, I feel greatly relieved, and am enjoying
a much needed rest.
During the year, six of our boys, just out of high School, were sent to the Korean front, Out ofthese six, one was wounded and two are missing. Three other boys were drafted for service in theU.S. Army and will soon be ready for combat duties. When the call came, money of them shrankfrom his duty or was disheartened. They showed no hesitation in going. Like some 160 “Okumura”
boys who distinguished themselves in World War II, they are truly living up to the traditional spiritof this Home-whole hearted service to God, country and men.
* * * *Now I wish to recall some of my happiest experiences of the last fifty years.
When I first came to Hawaii fifty-seven years ago in August 1894 to serve as pastor of Nuuanu
Church, I found that very few Japanese men had brought their wives and families. I felt keenly theneed of settling here permanently and of dedicating my whole life to mission work in Hawaii andsetting an example of right living. After consulting members of the Hawaiian Board, and receiving
their hearty endorsement, I went to Japan in 1896 to settle my affairs.
Leaving my mother in the care of my brothers, I returned to Hawaii with my wife and threeboys on December 3 of the same year. Since then I have made Hawaii my home, and have beenprivileged to be counted as one of the kamaainas.
* * * *In August 1896, the wife of one of my friends was returning to Japan for an extended visit, andI was asked to look after their boy in my home. I decided to do this simply to help my friend. But
this was really the beginning of my Home. The boy who was only nine years old when he first cameto me, stayed with me for sixteen years until he was ready for work at twenty-four.
After several years in the Yokohama Specie Bank and the Bishop Bank, he continued his studies
and became a doctor, bringing relief to hundreds of people. He is none other than Dr. Bunji Tokioka
on Kalakaua Avenue.
The second boy in the Home was George, son of Rinnojo Uyemura, a notable and powerful manin the Japanese community.

Story of Okumura HomePioneer Teacher Suffered Sneers and Curses For Opposing Japan Propaganda Here
By The Late REV. TAKIE OKUMURA(Dictated two weeks before his death on Feb. 10, 1951, to his son, Umetaro)
IIIn July 1898, when Hawaii was annexed to the United States, the status of the Japaneseimmigrants suddenly changed. All contract laborers on sugar plantations became free men while
their children became American citizens. From that very moment, I felt it would be necessary tocompletely change the traditional policy of running the Japanese Schools and urged whole hearted
cooperation with the Americanization program of the public schools. Otherwise, I felt that therewould be trouble in store for our children born on this soil.
Being the founder of the first Japanese language school and a strong believer in the instructionof the Japanese language, I did not wish to see the splendid work which had been done so far
spoiled. So, in writings and speeches, I pointed out the folly of spreading Japanese nationalistic
education under the cloak of loyalty and patriotism, and called upon the people in charge oflanguage schools to alter their policies.
But perhaps I was a little too early in being so solicitous, for I was criticized, sneered andcursed at.
Around this time, many requests for entry into my home began to come in. People noticed thechange for the better in the children who lived in the home. Within three or four months, there
were ten boys including my own and six girls.
* * * *In those days, my home was on the corner of Nuuanu and Kukui, a four-room cottage in therear of the old Lyceum. The cottage was so small that I enlarged a room just back of the livingroom for the boys’ quarters and arranged five two-decker beds around it. Ten boys were thus
accommodated.
Another room was set aside for the girls. The children were all only seven to ten years old.
They were then hardly any older boys or girls, because the majority of the immigrants from Japanin the beginning were single men and the influx of women and children had only just begun.
Soon afterwards, arrangements were made and neighboring house large enough for 24 boys wasrented.
In 1899, $7,000 was raised by contributions and we purchased a lot and house on Kukui Street,the present site of a concrete building which was used until recently as the Philippine Consulate. InOctober, the Home moved to this larger house, which a spacious ground for the children to play in.
In December 1901, $2,000 was donated to the Home. With this sum, we built a two-story
building for 60 boys and girls. Then, Mother Castle gave us 60 iron folding beds. For years the beds
were known among the children as “Castle Beds.”
In those years, the monthly fee for care in our Home was only $4.50. Of this, $3.00 was forboard and $1.50 for laundry and pocket money. The fee was so small, that the House was always in
the red.
From those early years the Castle, Atherton, Cooke, Waterhouse and other families helped theHome with generous donations, and enabled the Home to continue its work to the present time andto weather all sort of storms. In recalling their assistance during all these years, mere words are
not sufficient to express our gratitude.
* * * *The Home organized the first Japanese baseball team in Hawaii, in 1900. The team played onan empty lot behind the old Kaumakapili Church on Beretania Street. Two years later, the teamchanged its name to “Excelisior” and participated in the regular boys’ league on the old Boys’
Field on Vineyard Street, back of the present Kauluwela School. This team won the championshippennant and cup by winning all the scheduled games against the Hawaiian, Portuguese and Chinese
tams. The old koa cup and pennant are still being preserved as precious treasures of the Home.
About the only members of the team who are still here in Hawaii are Dr. Seiichi Hamamotoand Kanichi Takitani, both of Wailuku, Maui and Senmatsu Sawai, Dr. Bunji Tokioka and Umetaro
Okumura, of Honolulu.
From early years, the Home promoted good citizenship, discipline and healthy exercise byencouraging military drills with wooden guns under the leadership of an Army sergeant from Camp
McKinley which was then in Kapiolani Park, and later under an experienced instructor, Rev. K.
Komuro. On Washington’s Birthday in 1902, the boys hiked all the way to Mother Castle’s homein Manoa Valley via Punchbowl and Tantalus. On the grounds of her home, the boys went throughvarious squad formations to express their thanks and to console her.

Story of Okumura Home
Hawaii’s Envoy Won Viscount Shibusawa’s Aid
In Fund Raising for Nuuanu YMCA
By The Late REV. TAKIE OKUMURA(Dictated two weeks before his death on Feb. 10, 1951, to his son, Umetaro)
III
In October 1902, when the Nuuanu Church served its connection financially from the Hawaiian
Board of Missions, I resigned its pastorate and opened a new field of work in Makiki and the easternsection of Honolulu. The Home was so close to Nuuanu Church and so far away from my new fieldof work that I feet the location of my Boys’ Home on Kukui Street would some day become thesource of many misunderstandings. I discussed this mater with the Hawaiian Board, and was given
permission to use the old theological seminary building on Punchbowl Street, near Beretania Street,the present site of the Medical Group. In September 1905, the Home moved into this new locality,
and at the same time we deeded the property and building on Kukui Street to the Hawaiian Board.
But in 1906, the Hawaiian Board sold the Punchbowl Street property and we were forcedto move into the Emerson place on Beretania Street, just opposite the pumping station. Even
though there were three buildings-two two-story and one single, they proved to be too small andinadequate for efficient work, and in February 1907, we moved to the Hyde place, back of theHonolulu Rapid Transit Company. Besides a two-story building, there was also a comfortably large
building on the property and we were able to look after 70 boys and girls.
* * * *In the early part of 1909 Mr. Francis W. (“Frank”) Damon suggested that we join with him inerecting a large school and dormitory in Manoa Valley. He said that it would not do to have only
Chinese students without representation from other nationalities, particularly Japanese young
people, and invited the Japanese boys from our Home.
Immediately, I agreed with his proposal of building a strong Christian school, and gladly offered
my help. Keeping only about 18 boys all below the age of twelve, I sent 40 of the older boys to join
60 Chinese boys to form the nucleus of the “Mid-Pacific Institute.”
In 1910 the Honolulu Rapid Transit Company bought the Hyde property for the purpose oferecting car barns. Unable to find any suitable place we were “forced out” into the streets. Mr.
William R. Castle, hearing of our plight, turned over to us free of charge, the house and property
on South King Street (the present location of the Home). I enlarged the rear porch and converted
it into a large dormitory capable of accommodating 20 boys. All the girls were sent back to theirhomes, and with 18 small boys we moved into the new Home during the summer of 1910.
* * * *In 1917, several leaders of the community asked me to visit Japan, and raise at least $10,000
in behalf of the Nuuanu YMCA. I realized that $10,000 (or 20,000 yen) was about one tenths ofthe needed sum and would hardly be sufficient. But I believed that whatever amount the leadersof Japan could contribute would become a beautiful gesture to the American people and would
help in furthering friendly relations between the two nations. I accepted, and left for Japan in themonth of September.
The leaders in Japan were wholly ignorant of Hawaii. The majority of them were underthe impression that Hawaii was just another South Sea Island, or a colony of early Japaneseimmigrants. Realizing the necessity of making them thoroughly understand the conditions in theseIslands, I distributed widely among the business and government leaders a book that I had written
titled “The Paradise of the Pacific.”
Within two months, with the assistance of Viscount Shibusawa, the Grand Old man of Japan, I
raised the required quota and came back to Hawaii.
In 1918 the Honolulu YMCA thanked me with a donation large enough for the erection of a newboys’ dormitory to the Home while Mr. William R. Castle generously deeded the South King Street
property to us. At that time, I felt that a minister should not own any real estate property, andasked that the title be made out in the name of the Hawaiian Board of Missions.

Story of Okumura Home
Future of Institution Uppermost in Thoughts
Of Founder While He is on Deathbed
By The Late REV. TAKIE OKUMURA(Dictated two weeks before his death on Feb. 10, 1951, to his son, Umetaro)
IVOn July 1, 1920 the College of Hawaii, originally founded as an agricultural institution, becamea full-fledged university. Steadily, the number of students coming out to Honolulu for higher
education increased, and even our Home felt the pressing need of enlarging the quarters and ofaccommodating the influx of promising young people.
We purchased a house and lot on Kinau Street, near Pensacola Street for $7,000 and re-openeda Girls’ Home in September.
The Hawaiian Board gave us $3,000 from the Centennial Fund, and provided us with a good
sized playground.
In 1922, a committee made up of Messrs. F. C. Atherton, R. A. Cooke, George P. Castle, Theo.
Richards and W. D. Westervelt went over the Home and after checking our needs very closely,
donated the sum of $6,000. A new dormitory for the university boys, and dining hall, kitchen andbath house were built, and our Home was turned into an efficient plant.
* * * *
Since January 1921, I carried on a (sic) Americanization campaign throughout the Territory.
Twice a year, I visited practically every locality where there were at least 40 or 50 Japanese, andurged them to think and act always from the point of view of the American and to educate andbuild up the children born in these Islands into good, loyal American citizens.
While working among the older Japanese, I felt the urgent need of training dependable andfearless leaders among the younger Hawaiian-born Japanese. So, from August, 1927, I led the New
American Conferences-conferences of American citizens, right up to the beginning of the war, withthe help of American friends and representative young men of Japanese ancestry. Over 800 young
people came as delegates from all over the Territory.
The conferences were immensely successful. They changed the attitude of all Japanese, bothyoung and old, and gave them real confidence in the future of Hawaii. I also believe firmly thatthese conferences helped and encouraged thousands of young men to prove their whole-hearted
loyalty to their country on the battle fields of World War II, and thus brought credit to their fathersand mothers.
Had it not been for the assistance of over 1,000 former Home boys and their parents, all thecampaigns which I have been privileged to lead would not have succeeded. I am truly grateful tothem.
* * * *In 1929, when the Makiki Christian Church bought land for its castle-like edifice, the Homebought the balance of the area and laid plans for bigger and up-to-date dormitories. As an initialstep, the Girls’ Home property on Kinau Street was sold. With a donation of $5,000 from Mr. Frank
C. Atherton and his family in the early part of 1937 a new and comfortable home for girls was built
on the new property.
Shortly afterwards, I became ill and not being able to continue my strenuous church work,
I retired from the church in November 1937, and decided to devote the rest of my life tolooking after the Home; directing the Annual Conference of New Americans and editing monthly
periodicals.
Since then for various reasons, I felt that my Boys’ and Girls’ Home should not be on the sameground with the Church. I discussed this with the Hawaiian Board and for $10,000 the title of theKing Street property was deeded to Okumura father and son, Umetaro. Mr. and Mrs. Wade Warren
Thayer were most generous in enabling the Okumura to secure the title.
In the fall of 1941, living up to the promise made to the Hawaiian Board, we moved ourGirls’ Home from the grounds of Makiki Church to our own King Street property. The shape of thebuilding was altered and enlarged into one of 30 feet x 90 feet. Formerly there were eight rooms
for 16 girls. Now we have 13 rooms for 26 girls, a large living room, a large lavatory, kitchen and abathroom. The total expenses for the moving and alterations ran up to $3,500. At the same time,extensive repairs to the Boys’ dormitories, dining room, lavatories and bathroom were made.
* * * *
This is but a little piece of work, but having patiently kept it up for many years and charging
the boys and girls only $25 per month, we have been able to look after over 1,400 young people
who have proved themselves to be useful and reliable in various fields of activities. Many havegone onward to the mainland, some to Japan, but some 700 of our boys and girls are still living inHawaii. Every one of them is a credit to this Home.
The Home is run on strict Christian principles. East day is opened and closed with prayers, andevery possible effort is made to build up strong characters, not by mere words but by actual living.
After vesper services, simple language lessons are given. On Sundays, every one of our boys andgirls attend church services and Sabbath School.
Some day in the future we will have to reconstruct the old dormitories, or buy some otherlocation, better situated and better adapted to our needs. May we therefore ask your generous
assistance to our building fund.