Statue garden is taking shape, Kawamoto says

It has become common for people traveling down Kahala Avenue to gawk or gander at the statue garden slowly being developed by Japanese billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto about midway along Honolulu’s prestigious oceanfront street more commonly populated by gated mansions.

On Monday, passers-by caught a glimpse of Kawamoto himself along with the more than 30 marble Greek goddess and bronze lion statues arranged on the property over the last year.

Kawamoto, who was directing a few workmen excavating the remnants of a wall and planting shrubs like colorful croton, said people can expect continuing changes to the property and two homes across the street that he bought within the last six months.

"Nice area," Kawamoto indicated, pointing to the five former house lots he is converting largely into a statue garden adjacent to a single mansion with blue roof tiles, which is slated to become a museum showcasing a collection of European art.

The enigmatic Kawamoto broadly outlined the idea to create museums and gardens in late 2010, and since then has periodically been seen in the neighborhood between Diamond Head and The Kahala Hotel & Resort advancing his plan.

Work has been slow and gradual, and most of the property is in rough shape, including the remnants of a tennis court and the light poles that allowed for night play. But a main entryway appears evident, and recently planted sod borders the road.

Piecemeal work on the property, along with sightings of the nearly 80-year-old tycoon often shading himself with an umbrella, has generated lots of curiosity among visitors and kamaaina, some of whom occasionally stop to take pictures of the scene.

Lisa Chang, an English teacher at Niu Valley Middle School who regularly drives along Kahala Avenue, pulled over Monday after a holiday swim at Kaimana Beach to take a closer look.

"It’s those roaring lions that got me kind of curious about this, like, palatial garden in Kahala," she said.

Chang credited Kawamoto for his enthusiasm and what she feels is a good intention to make part of a rather cloistered beachfront community more open to the public. But Chang also said the landscaping and statues lack good taste in her view.

"What is he trying to say?" she asked. "I’m real intrigued by the guy."

Some people have said they like the statues or the view of the ocean present through the garden property. But others, especially some Kahala residents, accuse Kawamoto of trying to disturb the community since he began buying up real estate on the street nearly a decade ago, spending close to $165 million on almost 30 homes.

Kawamoto began transforming many of his homes by breaking down walls fronting the street. For liability reasons, he also filled in swimming pools. Some of his homes fell into disrepair and racked up city fines. Kawamoto eventually demolished several.

Since early 2007 Kawamoto also has provided three of his million-dollar residences rent-free to Native Hawaiian families.

As part of the museum plan, Kawamoto said he wants to create an oceanfront Japanese tea garden on the former Chris Hemmeter estate closer to the Koko Head end of Kahala Avenue, across the street from two homes that would house a collection of Japanese pottery.

Scotty Anderson, Waialae-Kahala Neighborhood Board chairman, said he doesn’t take Kawamoto’s plan for public museums and gardens seriously.

"I’ve always thought that he is more interested in stirring the pot rather than cooking in the pot," Anderson said.

Anderson figures that Kawamoto will need some special permit to operate a museum in a residential neighborhood, and that the community undoubtedly will oppose that.

"There’s no way he’s going to get it," he said.

"It’s never going to happen."

In terms of what Kawamoto has assembled to date on his core collection of lots filled with lions and partially robed Grecian bodies, Anderson shuddered.

"You don’t know whether to laugh or cry," he said. "It’s so incredible."