The parallels between former Gov. George Ariyoshi and Hawaii’s eighth governor, David Ige, are both obvious and subtle.

Hawaii’s second Japanese-American governor did not quote his mentor, but made two references to the Japanese phrases that so guided Ariyoshi’s 13 years in office.

During his brief inaugural address, Ige said he also carried with him the same watch words.

Kodomo no tame ni. For the sake of the children. Okage sama de. All that I am, I am because of you.

In Ariyoshi’s first book, "With Obligation To All," he explained that the phrase, "For the sake of the children," carries his own philosophy of not just a strong cultural tradition, but that hard work and dedication can carry Hawaii forward.

"None of us need to be ashamed of saying who we are, what we are or where we’ve come from. We can take off the shackles of the past and we can reach out and dream," Ariyoshi wrote.

On Monday, Ige set the tone for his new administration without provocation, or startling new pronouncements; it was instead a ringing call for consensus.

"Hawaii has never been about ‘I’. Rather it has always been about ‘us’ — all of us," Ige said.

If former Gov. Neil Abercrombie would always repeat that "Hawaii’s diversity doesn’t divide us, it defines us," Ige was moving not to do battle, but to find common ground.

University of Hawaii professor Dennis Ogawa, who has written several books on Japanese-Americans, said Ige’s election and inauguration is a "reaffirmation in Gov. Ariyoshi’s consensus style of leadership and the point of commonality we in Hawaii share."

"It is not so much that Gov. Ige knows how to compromise, but that he has a record in trying to find the points of commonality," Ogawa said in an interview Monday. "Everyone understands and respects the differences in people. What is more important is understanding that we can appreciate how we get along with each other. That is what we can share together."

For his part, Ige’s first speech as governor of Hawaii walked over common ground. Hawaii’s environment and system of public education were top items, as was a good call to run government better.

"It means doing the people’s business in a business-like way; being honest and transparent; watching closely how we spend the people’s money and being accountable for all that we do," Ige said.

Four years ago Abercrombie also started his "New Day" administration with a call to work together with humility and cooperation, but now Ige hopes to put in place a state government that is more people-centered.

"Our job is to engage people so that they will want to participate in this grand experience in self-governance. Our job is to help people take ownership of the process of electing their government. As leaders, our job is to inspire others and not discourage them," Ige said.

Every new administration is by definition ambitious — so for "Government by Ige," the hope that we can get along and go forward is both hopeful and a tall order.

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Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.