In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to come to Hawaii, Captain Kumada will be celebrating with his crew that came over on the vessel Kaiwo Maru. The ship arrived to port on Wednesday after departing April 12th from Yokohama.

The ship is used as a training vessel. Cadets train in all aspects of running a ship including navigation and engineering. Ages of the cadets range from 19 to 25 years old. While on island, the cadets will be given tours, meet Maui Matsuri residents, and participate in events at the UH of Maui College.

The hope is to learn more about Native Hawaiian culture and to strengthen ties between Japan and the United States. We hope you all have a wonderful time while you are here!