Hawaiʻi State
Public Library System

Posted on: July 22, 2025 | Category: Community

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Honouliuli National Historic Site’s designation as a national park—a milestone in preserving one of Hawaiʻi’s most powerful World War II stories.

Hidden in a gulch on Oʻahu, Honouliuli was the largest and longest-used incarceration site in Hawaiʻi during the war. It unjustly held more than 400 Japanese American and European American civilians under martial law, along with over 4,000 prisoners of war from Okinawa, Korea, Japan, and Italy. Today, the park serves as a reminder of the impact of war on civil liberties and human rights.

To commemorate this anniversary, Honouliuli NHS and more than 55 partners are presenting a yearlong series of events through January 2026. Programs include a mix of virtual and in-person activities such as speaker series, park tours, exhibits, book talks, film screenings, performances, school initiatives, and a statewide art exhibit.

Hawaiʻi’s public libraries are proud to take part by hosting pop-up exhibits and highlighting the park’s recommended reading list, with many titles available in library collections.

To learn more, visit the U.S. National Park Service’s website and follow @HonouliuliNPS on Facebook and Instagram.