ESTABLISHING A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE OF HAWAII, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE PREFECTURE OF OKAYAMA, JAPAN.

SR46

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

46

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

Establishing a Sister-State RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
STATE OF Hawaii, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE PREFECTURE OF Okayama, JAPAN
.

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WHEREAS, Hawaii
has had a multicultural population since the days of the Hawaiian monarchy in
the 19th century and maintains a heritage of international participation and
cultural sensitivity unparalleled in other states; and

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WHEREAS, since
1981, the Legislature has instituted sister‑state relationships as a
means of asserting the State's active participation in international matters;
and

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WHEREAS, Hawaii
currently maintains nineteen sister-state relationships, including
relationships with six of Japan's forty-seven prefectures; and

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WHEREAS, Okayama
is a prefecture in Japan's Chugoku region on the Seto Inland Sea coast of
Honshu Island; and

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WHEREAS, Hawaii
and Okayama share long-standing historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties
rooted in Japanese immigration to Hawaii and ongoing cultural exchanges; and

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WHEREAS, these
ties were formally organized as early as 1927 with the establishment of the
Hawaii Okayama Kenjinkai, an organization that continues to foster friendship
and heritage to this day; and

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WHEREAS, Japan
remains one of Hawaii's most important international partners in tourism,
trade, education, and cultural exchanges, and Okayama Prefecture is widely
recognized for its leadership in high-quality agriculture, manufacturing,
education, and sustainability; and

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WHEREAS, Okayama
is known as the "Land of Sunshine," or
Hare no Kuni
, due to
its mild climate and low rainfall, a distinction that has allowed it to become
a premier agricultural region renowned for white peaches, muscat grapes, and
high‑quality rice; and

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WHEREAS, Hawaii
and the people of Okayama share a unique historical bond dating back to 1868
with the arrival of the
Gannenmono
, the first group of Japanese
immigrants to Hawaii, which included Sentaro Ishii, a samurai from Okayama who
settled on the island of Maui and became a prominent centenarian and community
leader; and

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WHEREAS, grassroots
relationships have flourished for decades, including the sister-chapter
relationship established in 1985 between the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber
of Commerce and the Kurashiki, Kojima, and Tamashima Junior Chamber
International chapters in Okayama; and

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WHEREAS, Okayama
Prefecture has demonstrated a strong commitment to direct exchange, having
successfully operated fifty-two charter flights carrying more than twelve
thousand passengers between Okayama Airport and Honolulu from 1991 to 2018; and

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WHEREAS, both
jurisdictions share common priorities, including sustainable tourism, workforce
development, food security, clean energy, climate resilience, and the
preservation of cultural heritage; and

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WHEREAS, educational
exchanges have already flourished at the university level between Okayama
University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and both regions express a
strong desire to expand these opportunities to the high school level; and

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WHEREAS, pursuant
to section 229-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Hawaii Sister-State and
International Partnerships Commission is tasked with evaluating and developing
recommendations for the initiation of all sister-state relationships, and
forwarding its recommendations to the Legislature for the Legislature to
implement, if it so chooses, by either adopting a concurrent resolution or by
enacting session law to that effect; and

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WHEREAS, a
relationship between Hawaii and Okayama will strengthen institutional
collaboration, economic opportunity, and cultural exchanges for the benefit of
residents, businesses, students, and communities in both regions; and

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WHEREAS, a
relationship between Hawaii and Okayama is expected to expand economic and
trade opportunities for local businesses; strengthen sustainable tourism;
support workforce development; enhance food security and agricultural
innovation; and deepen cultural understanding; and

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WHEREAS, the
State of Hawaii is actively seeking to expand its international ties and has an
abiding interest in developing goodwill, friendship, and economic relations
between the people of Hawaii and the people of many nations; and

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WHEREAS, the
Hawaii Sister-State and International Partnerships Commission has reviewed the
Hawaii-Okayama sister‑state application and recommended that a
sister-state relationship be established between Hawaii and Okayama; and

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WHEREAS, this
body believes that a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and Okayama will
be highly beneficial in expanding tourism, strengthening cultural bonds, and
advancing common goals of international peace and cooperation; now, therefore,

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BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, that a sister-state relationship between the State of
Hawaii, United States of America, and the Prefecture of Okayama, Japan, is
hereby established; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the United
States Secretary of State; Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan in Washington,
D.C.; Governor of the Prefecture of Okayama, Japan; Consul General of Japan in
Hawaii; Governor of the State of Hawaii; Director of Business, Economic
Development, and Tourism; and Chairperson of the Hawaii Sister-State and
International Partnerships Commission.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
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Hawaii
Sister-State and International Partnerships Commission; Okayama Prefecture,
Japan