1902: Bishop Emyo Imamura established Honpa Honganji (Hongwanji) Elementary School. Bishop Imamura devoted 32 years of his life in Hawaii to Buddhist teachings and the education of Japanese immigrants. He established a Japanese school at many plantation sites.

In the early 1900s, the Japanese schools fell into three categories; (1) the Buddhism based schools operated by the Honpa Honganji (Hongwanji) temples of Emyo Imamuara; (2) the Christianity based schools such as the Hawai Chuo Gakuin (布哇中央学院) established by Takie Okumura (奥村多喜衛); and (3) the non-religious, independent schools operated by the parents of the students. The largest number of the schools were run by the Honpa Honganji (Hongwanji), which compiled its own textbooks.

To access materials in the Japanese Language School Textbooks Collection at site, please read the Access Policy and make an appointment in advance. (Access Policy Japanese version)

View comprehensive list of titles