RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, shrinkage in congregation and neglect of Japanese temples and shrines have caused many of these places to fall in disrepair or have closed; and

WHEREAS, the temples and shrines have served an historically important function as religious, social, and cultural centers for immigrant populations assimilating themselves into the larger culture of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the design of the temples and shrines created a new and unique architectural form by combining the traditional Japanese architectural motifs with new materials, construction methods, and architectural forms unique to Hawaii; and

WHEREAS the design and style of these buildings are unique to Hawaii, not seen anywhere else in the world, and evolved as the Japanese assimilated and prospered in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the evolutionary design of the temples tell an important story of how the Japanese community immigrated to and changed while in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the preservation of the temples and shrines will preserve their unique architectural forms, and provide economic, cultural, and historical benefit to the state; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Government financially assists state historic preservation projects through a variety of funding sources including the Federal Historic Preservation Fund, which provides a two third match (60% Federal/40% non-Federal) of non-Federal funding sources for local historic preservation efforts; and

WHEREAS, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, states "the historical and cultural foundations of the Nation should be preserved as a living part of our community life and development in order to give a sense of orientation to the American people" (16 U.S.C. 470(b)(2)); now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislature support the preservation of traditional Japanese temples and shrines for future generations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to consult with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, with the assistance of the Honpa Hongwanji, the Tendai Mission, and the Shingon Mission, and others as appropriate, to identify Japanese temples and shrines in Hawaii and as far as practical, the temple or shrine's physical condition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007, on the information gathered on Hawaii's Japanese temples and shrines and any recommendations for the preservation of these cultural and historical treasures; and

Report Title:

Historic Preservation; Japanese temples and shrines