WAIMEA — Two Kaua‘i residents of Japanese ancestry were the recipients of special commendations from the prime minister of Japan Wednesday, as representatives from the Japanese Consulate arrived on Kaua‘i to personally deliver the commendations to the residents. Hajime Morita
WAIMEA — Two Kaua‘i residents of Japanese ancestry were the recipients of special commendations from the prime minister of Japan Wednesday, as representatives from the Japanese Consulate arrived on Kaua‘i to personally deliver the commendations to the residents.
Hajime Morita of Waimea was enjoying the warmth of the Westside morning surrounded by members of his family, some of whom flew in from Maui for the occasion, while Florence Kamei of Kalaheo was enjoying the quiet of her home.
Kaua‘i representatives who escorted the delegation from the Japanese Consulate on O‘ahu said that this practice is done worldwide by consuls in their respective countries.
Officials of the government of Japan keep track of the people who celebrate their 100th birthday, and notify consulate staff of the celebratory event, triggering the trips to the celebrating residents’ homes.
Wayne Miyata, a ceramics instructor at Kaua‘i Community College, said that he gets called “from time to time” to accompany the delegation, consisting on yesterday’s presentations of Consul Toyonori Hayasaka, Consul Hitoshi Tsunoda, and on this trip, Mana Fujii of the consulate.
Miyata explained that in order to receive the honor, the resident needs to register with the Japanese government, explaining why Morita, who has a 103-year-old sister at the Mahelona Medical Center’s long-term-care unit, never received similar honors.
Additionally, Miyata said that during the early days of the Japanese immigration to Hawai‘i, it was not uncommon for citizens to have dual citizenship.
Yoshiko “Dimples” Kano, another of the Kaua‘i escorts for the visiting dignitaries, pointed out that Morita was adopted by his wife’s family because they had no son to carry on the family name.
Kamei, who lives alone in her Kalaheo home, said she was born in Kekaha, and spent her entire life here, her parents arriving from Japan to work at Kekaha Plantation.
“I don’t feel like I’m 100,” the spry elder said. “Last year, they honored me at the Japanese dance when I was 99, and this year, I’m really 100.”
One of Kamei’s daughters, visiting here from Mililani, O‘ahu, explained that Florence Kamei drove until last year, a pristine Toyota Echo parked in the clean Kalaheo garage.
“But, when scratches started appearing, it was time to consider no more driving,” the daughter explained.
This was upsetting to Florence Kamei, who was used to driving around to do her chores.
But, settling into a no-driving routine, the daughter said Florence Kamei’s senior-citizen group has a van that picks her up.
Her church also has drivers, and the family hires a driver through the county’s Agency on Elderly Affairs who takes Florence Kamei to her weekly hairdresser appointment in Hanapepe, with a stop at the ‘Ele‘ele Big Save for her weekly shopping.
“I’m very healthy,” the elder Kamei boasted to the visiting dignitaries. “Only my hearing (is not that good).” Kamei’s daughter indicated that Florence Kamei does not use walkers or wheelchairs, and is indeed, “very healthy.”
Morita’s family explained that the elder gentleman is also healthy, his weakness being in his legs, which suffer from arthritis. “But, he still walks,” they said.
As the family reminisced in the ambiance of the old plantation-style residence in Waimea Valley, the elder Morita broke into song climaxing with “banzai,” a gesture that was sincerely appreciated by the visiting dignitaries, ending with members of his family crowding him exclaiming, “You lived a long time!
You need to live many more years.”
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
