Members of Yamaguchi prefecture kenjinkai chapters from across the world are scheduled to convene in Honolulu from July 28-30 for the sixth Yamaguchi Kenjinkai World Grand Meeting.

The triennial event promotes the exchange of opinions and ideas, while deepening the connections between those with ties to the Yamaguchi prefecture in Japan, said Shinya Kato, executive staff member of the Yamaguchi prefecture international division.

This year’s World Grand Meeting will be the first to be held in-person in the past eight years, he said.

“We’re really looking forward to this event and people being able to talk about how they were impacted by the pandemic,” Kato said through an interpreter. “Probably one of the most interesting things to come from this particular World Grand Meeting is going to be peoples’ discussions of how they’re working forward from their impacted activities.”

This year’s grand meeting will be hosted by the Honolulu Yamaguchi Kenjinkai and the Yamaguchi prefectural government, and is expected to have about 100 participants. Its location alternates between Yamaguchi and sites outside the country with kenjinkai chapters.

The first kenjinkai were started in the 1920s to help those who moved away from their hometown of Yamaguchi to maintain ties to the area and its culture, Kato said. The kenjinkai also serves as a way for those whose ancestors are from Yamaguchi to gain connection to their cultural roots, he said.

“People have connections with things like hometown foods and culture, especially in places like Hawaii where they still do bon dances in the Yamaguchi style,” he said. “You also get to experience the values and cultures of lots of different places from all over the world.”

The meeting will begin with a youth exchange day, where 18 individuals up to 39 years old are expected to participate in opportunities to exchange opinions, as well as a Hawaiian cultural activity. The youth exchange is particularly geared to those who may have been born outside Yamaguchi, and to serve as a message that Yamaguchi still recognizes them as a member of their community. The number of youth participants is purposely kept small to promote deeper engagement between participants, he said.

Day 2 will feature opinion exchanges between the presidents of the participating kenjinkai, as well as Yamaguchi Gov. Tsugumasa Muraoka. The event will be followed by the official World Grand Meeting with Yamaguchi delegates from around the world, and will conclude with a dinner and reception.

The final day will feature a breakfast at Club 100, hosted by Honolulu Yamaguchi Kenjinkai.

Gail Wakatake, Honolulu Yamaguchi Kenjinkai president, has been participating in the World Grand Meetings for the past 15 years. She said that being a member has inspired her and other members to continue deepening their connections to the Yamaguchi prefecture. Some, including herself, do so by traveling to the prefecture to learn more about the area with each visit, she added.

“You could say it’s enriching who I am, and really establishing and appreciating the roots of who I am,” she said. “I’m really proud to be able to have this opportunity to appreciate and relish who we all are coming from Yamaguchi.”

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Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.