Kanda Home

In 1893, Reverend Shigefusa Kanda, a graduate of Doshisha Theological School, came to Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii as a missionary to Japanese immigrants on the plantation. He built a church, founded the first Japanese language school in Hawaii, and defended the rights of the Japanese laborers. In 1898 he married Sue Tanimura. They moved to Wailuku, Maui where, in 1911, they founded a unique boarding school, the Kanda Home, for unfortunate Japanese girls. As described in this book, Mrs. Kanda vigorously educated these children to become good U.S. citizens and Christians, despite encountering considerable social and financial hardship. Graduates of the Kanda Home became leaders in the Japanese community and have contributed to the development of modern Hawaii.