University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hamilton Library will receive the collections of the Hawaiʻi Tenri Library—one of North America’s largest Japanese-language community libraries—after its closure on December 13, 2025 after more than four decades of serving Hawaiʻi’s Japanese-language readers. The collections will be processed and made available for research and learning.
Japan studies librarian, Mitsutaka Nakamura, was invited to speak at the closing ceremony, reflecting on the library’s legacy and its continued impact through preservation and access.
“I have lived in the United States for the past 20 years—on the East Coast, the West Coast, and in the Midwest. Yet I have seldom seen a library serving the local community so dedicated to Japanese-language resources,” Nakamura said. “While it is painful to see the library close, I am confident these materials will continue to serve UH and our community for many years.”
A legacy of Japanese-language collections
When the library opened in 1980 on Nuʻuanu Avenue, it welcomed about 100 guests, including the Consul General of Japan and UH faculty specializing in Japanese literature. Over time, its holdings expanded to nearly 50,000 volumes, with monthly patron visits peaking at around 700. An extended closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with demographic shifts and a declining number of Japanese-language readers, ultimately led to the decision to close.
