2007 HUOA Leadership Study Tour
By Rena Takushi, Hui Makaala
 
I would like to give my sincere mahalo to the Hawaii United Okinawan Association, the Okinawan Prefectural Government, and most of all, to my club, Hui Makaala for nominating me for the HUOA Leadership Study Tour 2007.
 
There are no words or phrase that can summon the sincere appreciation for having this once in a lifetime journey to Okinawa. This was my first time to Okinawa, and the spirit of its people and culture will continue to resonate with me forever.
 
I was impressed and joyfully overwhelmed by the Okinawa’s beautiful landscape and the resilient nature of the Okinawan people. After learning much about the atrocities of war and its impact on Okinawa’s livelihood, the most important value that has been imbued within me is ichiru takara or “life is precious”. I enjoyed listening to the stories of war survivors, the history of the Battle of Okinawa, and deeply reflecting on the enormous amounts of courage it must have taken to rebuild families, businesses and communities within Okinawa. I was mesmerized by the survivors’ determination and passion for world peace, not only for Okinawa, but for the entire world of humanity.
 
Our trip to Katsuren was the most memorable turning point for me. We were able to spend the evening with Daiichi Hirata and the children of his drama production who were middle and high school students. Learning and dancing with the children was a great hands-on experiential activity and I felt like a child again. It is rare to be able to go back into time and remember what it feels like to be a child especially when you have great demands as an adult!
 
After our dance activity, we were able to watch a part of a drama scene that was filled with music, dance and emotion. My eyes filled with tears as the children exuded enthusiasm and tenacity in their performance and story telling. These tears were for the realization that the Uchinanchu spirit binds and connects together, and even more so, that this wonderful spirit continues to reside within me. This reflection was very powerful as I felt somewhat disconnected from my heritage of being fourth generation Uchinanchu. 
 
I was able to truly feel, from the bottom of my heart, a deep sense of appreciation for my family and most importantly for my own life. I come home to Hawaii with more opportunity to reflect on how I would like to live the rest of my life, and the kind of legacy I want to impart onto my children.
 
The reality of my generation is filled with a sense of hopelessness and war. I hope to strengthen the relationship between Hawaii and Okinawa and improve the quality of life for its people. My greatest wish is for the other regions of the world that are experiencing the hardships of war to learn from the experiences of Hawaii and Okinawa to cultivate the resiliency and humanistic qualities that we are truly capable of.
 
I’d like to again sincerely thank all the individuals and organizations in helping to make this trip very memorable.
 
Choo kukuru ru dee ichi
The heart is the most essential human quality,
Rena Takushi

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