Schools
Hakalau School, 1940. Photo courtesy of Emi Uemura.
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The country school which grew from a small one-room house to an educational plant of considerable size was an important entity in the plantation community. Hakalau School, in addition to its function of teaching the three R's, also became the district's center for many social and athletic activities until it was closed and consolidated with Kalanianaole School in Papaikou in 1972.
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Hakalau School Teachers, May 1929: Mrs. Machado, Miss Douse, Miss Okazaki, A.K.Akita, Mrs. Capellas, Mr. Capellas, Mrs. Maneki, Mrs.F. Cyliskus, Chun Koon, MacNicoll, Miss Ignacio, Parker, Takeyama, Morimoto. Photo from the Waichi Ouye Collection, courtesy of his family.
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The Ninole School was originally called Pohakupuka School and the first principal was a Mrs. Bridgewater prior to 1904. In 1932 Ninole School closed after a long and colorful history and the buildings were moved to a new 7.58 acre parcel next to Nanue stream and the new Ninole School, now called John M. Ross School, was open to students. The school consisted of one large structure which had 6 classrooms, a principal’s office, a dispensary and a library. There were 2 additional buildings, one for the principal and his family and the other for teachers that needed housing.
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Photo courtesy of John M. Ross.
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One of the first language schools had been founded in 1896...Soon the idea of teaching the Japanese language to Nisei became extremely popular, especially since the schools facilitated communication and cultural transmission within the Issei family and provided a child-care center for working parents. With the proliferation of Buddhist institutions, the Japanese language schools came under the control of a more "Japanesey" leadership. Besides instruction in the language, reverence for the emperor and a strong attachment to things Japanese dominated the curriculum of the Buddhist-operated language schools. Many young Nisei would therefore attend not only public school, learning American culture and language, but would study the ways of Japan at the language schools. (Source: Dennis M. Ogawa, Kodomo no tame ni: For the sake of the children, The University of Hawaii Press, 1978, p. 141)
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Former Japanese School, Built 1930, House #327
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The building on the left is building # 51, the Japanese School, and the Honohina Hongwanji, on the right, is building #52 in the map. The newly planted tree is a Shower Tree, similar to the one at Waikaumalo Park today. Photo courtesy of Robert Nishimoto.
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Nearby was the Ninole Japanese School, properly known as Ninole Dokuritsu Gakko, which consisted of a residence and a 3-classroom building. In 1932, the Japanese school split into two and moved next to the John M. Ross School site. The Ninole Dokuritsu Gakko site was located on the Hilo side of Waiehu stream. The new Honohina Hongwanji Gakuen was built on the Hamakua side of Waiehu stream. As of November 2019, very little information about this school has been compiled for this website. We are interested in historical detail and pictures. If you have information about this Japanese Language School, please contact us!
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Mr. and Mrs. M. Shigaki, date unknown. Mr. Shigaki was the Principal of the Japanese Language School in Ninole. Photo from the Waichi Ouye Collection, courtesy of his family.
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