Monkeypod in Moiliili honors Japanese immigrants

City officials held a dedication ceremony Monday morning for a monkeypod tree that was planted in place of a banyan removed at Moiliili Triangle two months ago.

An ailing, century-old Chinese banyan, was removed in early August after several limbs had fallen from it due to a twig borer pest infestation, according to city officials, creating a public safety hazard. The banyan tree was originally dedicated to Kihachi and Shika Kashiwabara, the first Japanese immigrants to settle in the area.

The Kashiwabaras were plantation workers from Japan who later founded Hawaii’s first sumo dojo and a Japanese language school in the community.

Monday was like a family reunion for several generations of the Kashiwabara family, including the great-great-great grandchildren of Kihachi and Shika, as they admired the monkeypod where South King and Beretania streets meet University Avenue.

The newly planted monkeypod is small compared to the other banyan closer to University Avenue, which was dedicated to Harry G. Yoshimura in honor of his Moiliili roots and support for the community. That tree, according to the city, has not displayed signs of decay, and will remain.

>> View more photos from the tree ceremoney in our photo gallery.

Both trees have plaques marking special dedications that were held in April 1994.

The new tree will have plenty of room to grow and fill in, according to city officials, who said they chose a monkeypod this time to avoid potential damage by another twig borer beetle infestation.

“We wanted to plant a tree that would thrive and tell the story of the Kashiwabaras,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “Therefore we planted monkey pod because they do thrive in this community, and it’s going to provide incredible amounts of shade for people to gather under, to reflect and to tell the story.”

The great-great-great grandchildren, ages 4, 5, 6 and up, will one day have stories to tell about the tree as adults, said Caldwell.

“So many family members have come out,” said Caldwell. “It shows how much they care. …We need to do a good job to make sure this tree thrives.”

That includes making sure the homeless do not break the sprinklers, he added, and show respect for its significance as well as that of the torii gate, which symbolizes the friendship between Honolulu and Hiroshima.

The city has pledged to plant 100,000 new trees in the urban core of Honolulu by 2025, with a goal of reaching a canopy cover, or leaf surface area, of 35 percent in the city by 2035.

Honolulu city councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, who has ties to the Kashiwabaras, was also at the ceremony, and said she was happy to help work toward that goal, starting with “this wonderful tree dedicated to the family.”

Kihachi Kashiwabara, whose sumo name was Sendagawa, was more than 6 feet tall and weighed more than 200 pounds, according to great grandson Faxon Hanuna. He founded a sumo dojo on the parcel of land where Longs Drugs (formerly Star Market) now sits.

One of Kihachi’s sons, Hans Hankuro Kashiwabara, became the first nisei captain in the Honolulu Police Department.

“It brings everyone back to their roots, especially the young ones,” said Lori Hiramatsu, Kihachi’s great-­granddaughter. “It reminds us of how they contributed to the community, and we want to make sure we continue that.”

Sylvia Kobayashi Berrington brought ginger lei, her great-grandfather’s favorite, to place around the plaque, with her grandchildren.

“It’s definitely a special moment,” she said.