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August 14, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

‘Ue o Muite Arukou’

On December 10, 1941, Hiroshi Sakamoto welcomed his ninth child into the world with his second wife Iku. Called Hisashi, the alternate kanji reading of his given name was Kyu (pronounced ‘cue’), meaning nine. He was subsequently given the nickname Kyu-chan.

During World War II, Hisashi and his family were forced to evacuate from Kawasaki and headed to his grandparents’ house in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

On the way there, they were riding in a vehicle that collided with a train at Tsuchiura Station and fell into a river resulting in a number of fatalities. Fortunately for the Sakamotos, they had transferred to another vehicle shortly before the accident.

Kyu was just 20 months old at the time, but when told about the incident, he believed the God of Kasama Inari Shrine protected his family.

When his parents divorced in 1956, Kyu and two other siblings adopted their mother’s maiden name, Oshima. The older children kept their father’s surname, Sakamoto.

In 1958, 16-year-old Sakamoto joined The Drifters (then known as Sons of Drifters), but ended up quitting after six months due to in-house fighting. One of the main reasons for this was his dissatisfaction with being the second vocalist.

He then joined his classmate in a band called Danny Iida & Paradise King before going solo. The Drifters, meanwhile, went on to become the most famous rock/comedy group in the country and, in 1966, supported The Beatles at the Budokan.

Kyu became famous for a song. First released in Japan in 1961, Sakamoto’s seminal track, “Ue o Muite Arukou” was composed by Hachidai Nakamura with lyrics by Rokusuke Ei.

“Ue o Muite Arukou” became a global phenomenon and in 1965 an instrumental version was played over the radio by NASA for astronauts aboard Gemini 7, on what was the 21st crewed spaceflight.

Down the years it has been covered or sampled in various languages by numerous artists including A Taste of Honey, 4 PM, Selena and Avicii on his posthumous album “Tim.” The original has featured in several movies and dramas such as “M*A*S*H,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Mad Men” and the Ghibli Film “From Up on Poppy Hill.”

More than just a one-hit-wonder, Sakamoto continued to have a successful career after “Ue o Muite Arukou” as an actor, presenter and more famously as a singer thanks to tracks such as “Ashita ga Arusa” (“There’s Always Tomorrow”) and “Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o” (“Look up at the Stars at Night”).

Though Sakamoto is most well-known as a singer, he also appeared in numerous films including the movie adaption of Higuchi Ichiyo’s famous novel “Takekurabe,” Seijun Suzuki’s “Subete ga Kurutteru” (“Everything Goes Wrong”) and Yoji Yamada’s “Kyu-chan no Dekkai Yume” (“Kyu-chan’s Big Dream”).

In 1965, he provided the voice for lead character Ted in the animated feature, “Gulliver’s Travels Beyond the Moon.” A young Hayao Miyazaki, working as an in-between artist, impressed Toei with his contribution to the end of the animated production.

Wanting to use his fame to help give back to those less fortunate, Sakamoto did a lot of work for charity during his career. In the 1960s, he held a concert to raise money for the Tokyo Paralympics, which was struggling for funding. He was most passionate about supporting children with disabilities, particularly those who were blind or visually impaired.

In 1979, he released “Soshite Omoide,” Japan’s first song in sign language. At that time, sign language was prohibited at deaf schools so people studied it independently.

Tragically, Sakamoto was killed when Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashed in 1985. He was 43 years old. Due to faulty repairs, the plane crashed into a ridge near Mount Osutaka just over 30 minutes into the journey.

All 15 crew and 505 out of 509 passengers died, for a total of 520 deaths and only 4 survivors. It was one of the worst single airline disasters in history.

Oh, Kyu Sakamoto’s famous song “Ue o Muite Arukou”, we know it as ‘Sukiyaki.’ (They named it such as it is easier to pronounce for Americans, and it is a word that people associate with Japan. Sukiyaki is a kind of Japanese dish and has nothing to do with the song.)

The song topped the US pop charts for three weeks in 1963. It is the only Japanese language song to hit #1 in the US. It sold over 13 million copies internationally. (ThoughtCo)

Here is Kyu Sakamoto and Ue o Muite Arukou, “Sukiyaki:”

During a stop in Hawai‘i, Sakamoto told reporters, “Songs and laughter have a common language all over the world. I hope to show American audiences what the Japanese younger generation actually is and to let them know the wonderful meaning of the original title of the sukiyaki song.” (Sakamoto, SB, Aug 14, 1963).

“Ue o Muite Arukou,” is a song about loss that translates across languages and cultures. It’s at once sorrowful and hopeful. The light melody bubbles at the surface and sparks joy in listeners.

Yet the lyrics are more bittersweet and sad. It’s a song about loss, love and alienation. And it perfectly captures the mixed emotions listeners may feel in the wake of a loved one’s death.

Although “Ue o Muite Arukou” is a song that any listener can understand on an emotional level, the tune actually has layers of meaning under the surface. For instance, when you first read the song’s lyrics, they appear to be about a young couple falling out of love.

Kyu Sakamoto sings, “Ue o muite arukou” (I look up as I walk); “Namida ga kobore naiyouni” (So the tears won’t fall); “Omoidasu harunohi” (Remembering those happy spring days); “Hitoribotchi no yoru.” (But tonight I’m all alone.)

But the inspiration for the song’s mournful lyrics wasn’t love or the loss of a loved one at all. Lyricist Rokusuke Ei wrote these words in response to political tension and protests in Japan during the 1950s.

Although WWII had ended, the US still had a strong military presence in Japan, and many Japanese youth felt alienated by this continued military occupation.

Young people in Japan were protesting against the Japanese government’s security treaty with the US. Yet despite their efforts, the two governments agreed to the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. (SevenPonds)

Later, the group A Taste of Honey recorded English words to the melody, turning it into a hit for a second time in the 1980s. The English words made popular by A Taste of Honey were not a translation of the Japanese version of the song but probably revived interest in the original Japanese version. (Hawaii Herald) (Lots of information here is from TokyoWeekender.)

August 13, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Dreamwood

Lyman Herbert Bigelow came to Hawaii as a civil engineer and construction superintendent in the United States army quartermaster corps in 1911.

Shortly after arrival, he started work in the private sector, then was appointed as Superintendent of Public Works by Gov. Charles McCarthy for a four-year term. He was reappointed by Governors Wallace Farrington and Lawrence Judd.

He was charged with the task of supervising the expenditure of millions of dollars for improvements throughout the Territory. He held the dual position of superintendent of public works and chairman of the board of harbor commissioners for more than a decade.

“‘Mr. Bigelow had the difficult and important task of beading the City’s Building Department during and following World War II.’”

“‘In directing the City’s tremendous construction program to catch up with the backlog of building needs and to provide the many new facilities needed after the war, he contributed much to the building of present day Honolulu.’”

“‘The City was indeed fortunate to have had a man like Mr. Bigelow in its service during such a critical period. He gave generously of himself to his work and won not only the high respect but warm regard of his associates.’” (Blaisdell, Star Bulletin, June 20, 1966)

He also built his home, Dreamwood, along Kaneohe Bay. “‘Dreamwood,’ which grew out of a haole koa wilderness, is a ready-made park. There are graceful wrought iron gates guarding the entrance. A private driveway, bordered by palms, crotons and bougainvillea, leads to the three-story Bigelow home.”

“There are six tropical fish ponds, lily pools and fountains on the grounds. Walkways are bordered by orchids. There are secluded

picnic areas. Three large greenhouses are used to cultivate orchids and rare ferns. A long pier extends into Kaneohe Bay. It has a boat shed on it.”

“Bigelows’ life-long interest in horticulture has brought rare and unusual plants to ‘Dreamwood.’ His professional skill as an engineer is seen in the intricate pools, walkways, patios and terraces.” (Advertiser, August 11, 1966)

“Dreamwood,. his 2½ acre estate at the end of Waikalua Road on Kaneohe Bay, was a gardener’s showplace which, Mayor Blaisdell said, ‘he shared generously with the community.’”

“In recent months the Bigelows, Kaneohe community leaders and City Councilmen have discussed the possibility of acquiring Dreamwood for public park purposes.”

“The bayfront estate apparently becoming too much to keep up, and Mr Bigelow wanted the tropical property to be enjoyed rather than subdivided. He and his wife said they would build a smaller home a portion of the Dreamwood estate.”

“An orchid hobbyist for more than 40 years, Mr. Bigelow won his share of prizes. He spent three decades designing, planting and

improving his gardens.” (Star Bulletin, June 20, 1966)

“Kaneohe Community leaders are proposing that the acre and a half estate with its home and marine peir be purchased and added to an existing City park at the end of Waikalua Road which borders the Bigelow property.”

“The Bigelows are planning to build a small home on the portion of ‘Dreamwood’ property which they have reserved for their own use.” (HnlAdv, Jan 13, 1966)

Other thoughts on future use suggested that the “home could house a restaurant with its operation and menu tailored to a botanical garden setting. The home’s many rooms could be set up to provide breakfast, luncheon or dinner meeting places for groups of under 100 persons.”

“Other portions of the house could be used for music club gatherings, monthly club meetings and art exhibits. The grounds would be maintained as a park where the public and tourists could enjoy the tropical plantings, orchid and fern houses.” (HnlAdv, Jan 22, 1966)

The City acquisition and park plans did not move forward. “It really is a shame the City can’t acquire more of these. But in the end it all boils down to the finances of the matter.” (City Council Chairman, Herman Lemke, HnlAdv, Jan 22, 1966)

Following Bigelow’s death, repeated advertisements noted that the 1.47-acre waterfront ‘Dreamwood’ estate was listed for sale for $275,000.

Then, the Dreamwood School was initiated on the site; it was “an experiment in therapeutic learning” offering “a therapeutic educational experience to the drug user who wants to stop and to the school drop-out”. Star Bulletin, Sep 22, 1970)

“The name is incidental, kept at the request of the owner of Bigelow mansion, which is part of Dreamwood Acres. The name fits.”

“Dr Fred Weaver and the 25 people inside the mansion have a dream they believe can come true. They are creating a school for disenchanted and alienated young to help teach them how to live happily, creatively, constructively, in today’s society while fulfilling their own dreams.”

“Weaver, psychiatrist and adolescent unit chief at Hawaii State Hospital, is acting as consultant to Dreamwood School. … The school’s primary aim is to reintegrate adult and young relationships and satisfy learning needs which the staff feels are often not supplied within the system.”

“‘We have a philosophy that sometimes the system kills initiative,’ Weaver explained. ‘You have to be turned on to learning and we want to make the turn-on natural.’”

“‘’We feel that human values are the most important – feeling good, doing what uou do, being responsible for yourself in your relationships and in what you do.’ Weaver believes that alienation occurs often because adults ‘manipulate or push the young into things.”

“‘The crisis today is too severe to allow us the luxury of treating symptoms, It is time to work on the cause.’” (Star Bulletin, Sep 22, 1970)

Then in 1971, Habilitat “signed a five-year lease with Mrs Lyman Bigelow for her Kaneohe property”. Habilitat bought the property in 1976 and continues to be the fee owner and operates its programs there.

Vinny Marino founded Habilitat on January 27, 1971 as a long term addiction treatment programs. “My idea of survival is strength found in the family. Family life is the most important experience in our lives; a good family life does shape character, and is reflected in a person’s attitude about survival. Good family life is hard to find these days; you either have it or you don’t.”

“That’s why Habilitat exists today. Habilitat believes in the family as the basis of survival. Habilitat believes the family unit must be preserved. Habilitat offers positive survival to those who want to learn. Through the family structure at Habilitat, our residents form their values, morals, conscience, and a way of life that will help them survive in this mad, mad, mad, mad world.”

“Very simply, Habilitat is an extended family of individuals who realize they need help to change, and survive without sick dependencies.” (Vinny Marino)

August 12, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Oldest Wood Frame Structure in Hawaii

The wood-framed Mission House, built in 1821, was one of the first wood-framed buildings built in Hawai‘i; it is now the oldest in Hawai‘i. It recently celebrated its 200^th birthday.

The frame house stands on the grounds of the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, near Kawaiahaʻo Church on the makai side of King Street.

The timbers of Maine white pine were cut and fitted in Boston in 1819 and came around the Horn on the brig Thaddeus with the first mission company in April 1820, arriving first in Kona. The frame of the house arrived in Honolulu on Christmas morning of that year on board the ship Tartar.

Since the lumber for this New England plan type was actually pre-cut prior to shipment, it could also be considered in a broad sense a very early example of prefabrication.

Architecturally, it has a simple and straight-forward design; the relatively low ceilings, and basement are strong evidence of its New England concept, foreign to the temperate climate of Honolulu.

It has two stories plus a basement and measures about 40-feet in length and 24-feet in width, excluding the kitchen wing (which extends the basic rectangular plan on the right rear (Ewa-makai) by about 20-feet.) The overall height is just over 23½ feet.

The first floor (which has been altered by both additions and demolition) consists of two rooms across the front. A smaller room and hall are located behind the front room on the left. The second floor consists essentially of two large rooms separated by a stair-hall.

The foundation wall is about a foot thick, except on the Waikīkī side where it becomes an average of almost 2-feet (where a now-demolished wing once stood.)

The basement walls are adobe brick set in a mud mortar. The basement consists of one room on the left (Waikīkī) and a larger space on the right.

Basement access is by an exterior coral stair on both the front and rear and an interior concrete stair leading down from the kitchen. All walls are plastered, the floors are brick and the ceiling exposed wood.

The Frame House was used as a communal home by many missionary families who shared it with island visitors and boarders.

It served as a residence for various missionaries, including Hiram Bingham, Gerrit Parmele Judd and Elisha Loomis.

In 1904, several contractors were called in to examine the building which was found to be so badly eaten by insects it was considered beyond repair. After considerable study extensive repairs were undertaken to restore the house to its original appearance.

In 1925, the premises were again inspected and again extensive insect damage was found. By 1935, the house was completely renovated and restored.

Since 1935, various minor repairs such as repainting and some plastering have been undertaken.

Today the frame house is maintained by the Hawaiian Mission Children’s Society as a memorial to the early missionary effort in the Hawaiian Islands.

Furniture and other articles of the first mission families are displayed in the house, together with photographs of the men and women who lived and worked there.

Guided tours of the house and other parts of the historic site are offered Tuesday through Saturday, starting on the hour every hour from 11 am with the last tour beginning at 3 pm.

Nominal fees include: $20 General; $15 Kama‘aina, Senior Citizens (55+) & Military; $10 and Students (age 6 to College w/ID). Kama‘aina Saturday (last Saturday of the Month) 50% off admission for residents. (Reservations for groups of 10 or more are required.)

August 11, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Sea Bathing

Even the most rudimentary plumbing was unknown before Captain Cook’s arrival. The ancient Hawaiians depended on streams and springs for their water supply, sometimes carrying calabashes of water great distances over rugged terrain. They bathed in streams, mountain pools, ʻauwai (irrigation ditches,) shore pools and the sea. (Schmitt)

In the late-19th Century, Waikīkī’s shoreline was mostly a day-use beach; overnight accommodations were scarce. Visitors, usually residents of Honolulu, would arrive via horse-drawn carriage, on horseback or in a canoe. (White)

“The most popular resort of the people of Oʻahu is the famous Waikīkī … Waikīkī is the seaside and pleasure-resort of the island. … There are a number of private residences, picturesque-looking bungalows and cottages, but all airy, comfortable, and close to the murmuring sea. A beautiful grove of towering coconut-trees adds to the tropical charm of the place.” (Musick, 1898)

“The sea bathing is simply perfection. The water is never chilly; and yet it is most healthful and invigorating. The bottom is of nice smooth sand, always warm and pleasant to the feet. There is no fear of undertow or of any finny monsters. Not only is it pleasant to bathe here during the day, but moonlight bathing is indulged in. … It is a novelty, worth seeing, if not worth trying. (Whitney, 1895)

Just as “sea bathing” were gaining popularity on the American and European continents, private bathhouses, like the Long Branch Baths, Ilaniwai Baths and Wright’s Villa, began to appear in Waikīkī. (White)

“Bath-houses that equal those in Long Branch (New Jersey) are found here, and sea-bathing in January is as pleasant as in July. There is no clearer water, no finer beach, no smoother bottom in any of the many famous watering-places than are found at Waikīkī.” (Musick, 1898)

Bathhouses served customers with bathing suits and towel rentals, dressing rooms and each access to the beach. Initially, bathhouses served only day-use recreation of visitors, but eventually some of them began to offer overnight rooms.

One of the first of these bathhouses was the “Long Branch Baths,” named after a popular New Jersey resort. This long wooden shed was built near the edge of ‘Āpuakēhau Stream by James Dodd in 1881 at the former residence of Kākuhihewa. (CulturalSurveys)

“There are now forty two dressing rooms for gentlemen and eighteen boudoirs for ladies. To these accommodations will be added a bathing platform 100-feet along the beach by 80-feet wide and a trapeze and spring board attached. There will also be a restaurant and when the whole is finished we may expect to have occasionally to report aquatic feats of considerable magnitude.” (Hawaiian Gazette, May 28, 1889)

At that time, the Waikīkī beach area in Ulukou and Kahaloa was dotted with small cottages and some bathing houses. These “bathing houses,” placed strategically near the beach, were places where people could change into their bathing suits, rent towels, and walk directly into the ocean. (CulturalSurveys)

“At “Long Branch Baths” the bather may find deep water and at a temperature which will surprise him, permitting a two or more, hours enjoyment in plunging and bathing in the pure waters. Here sun and sand baths may be indulged in.” (Godfrey, 1898)

Dodd, who also ran a livery station, also offered round trip ‘omnibus’ mule-drawn bus service from Honolulu to Waikīkī, which included the use of the Long Branch.

Another attraction was a 200-foot long marine toboggan, where “for a nickel, riders could climb a ladder to the top of the run, mount a ‘star oval board’, zip down the chute and ricochet across the water …, skipping along like a flat pebble.” This toboggan was built on the west side of the bathhouse in 1889 by Jim Sherwood, a later owner of the Long Branch Bathhouse.

“The toboggan itself is a wooden frame with a turn up end upon which the bather reclines and the pleasure is in the swiftness of motion over the chute. When the bather reaches the water his toboggan skips on the surface for some distance from fifty to one hundred feet in proportion to the momentum acquired in the descent and then he has to swim ashore and propel his toboggan to a landing.” (Hawaiian Gazette, May 28, 1889)

During the 1870s and 1880s, Honolulu residents in growing numbers went out to enjoy the sea bathing at Waikīkī. Local writers spoke of it as the Long Branch, Newport, Brighton or Trouville of Hawaiʻi. (Kuykendall)

In 1875 or earlier, Allen Herbert proprietor of the Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu, “provided a cottage at the sea-shore at Waikīkī … where guests can go and spend the day, or merely enjoy a morning or evening bath in the ocean.”

Apparently this was only a beach house and not a hotel for overnight accommodation of guests; it is uncertain how long the arrangement continued. (Kuykendall)

The first hotels in Waikīkī were bathhouses, such as the Long Branch Baths, began to offer rooms for overnight stays in the 1880s. The first beachside hotel, the Park Beach, was a converted home which offered 10 rooms, each equipped with a bath and telephone.

As time passed, more found their way into the district, at first as visitors to enjoy the beach and the sea bathing, and then as residents, especially when access was made easier by the construction of a road (sometime in the 1860s.)

Toward the end of that decade an omnibus began running to Waikīkī, providing the only public transportation to that resort until the tramcar line reached there at the beginning of 1889. (Kuykendall)

August 9, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

James Melville Monsarrat

James Melville Monsarrat was born June 13, 1854, in Honolulu. On his paternal side Monsarrat is descended from Nicholas Monsarrat, who went to Dublin, Ireland, in 1755 from France. MC Monsarrat, his father, resided in Canada before coming to Hawaii.

The elder Mr. Monsarrat was a figure in the public life of Hawaii in the 1850s, being at one time deputy collector of customs and later entering the lumber firm of Dowsett & Co., which was eventually absorbed by S. G. Wilder & Co. He died on October 18, 1871.

Through his mother Monsarrat is a descendant of Captain Samuel James Dowsett, a native of Rochester, Kent, England, and a commander in His Majesty’s Colonial Service, who, as owner and master of the brig “Wellington,” came to Hawaii from Sydney July 27, 1828, and established his family in Honolulu.

James Monsarrat was educated at Episcopal Grammar School (Honolulu), Oahu College (Punahou). Returning to his father’s native land in 1871, he studied at Kilkenny College, Ireland.

For two years, and, traveling extensively, he was privately tutored in the French language at Brussels, Belgium, in 1873. He later attended Harvard University Law School, receiving his LL.B. degree, class of 1878.

Before returning to Hawaii, he was with the law firm of Ely & Smith, New York City, for a short time. He was then admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the Hawaiian Islands, Aug. 22, 1879.

He became active in public life, holding the office of deputy attorney general under W Claude Jones, Attorney General, and was secretary of the legislative assembly in 1880.

During his practice Judge Monsarrat drew the will of Queen Emma and of Princess Likelike. The will of Queen Emma was later contested without success by Prince Albert Kunuiakea.

“There are many legacies mentioned in the will. Some are to native Hawaiians, one is to a Chinaman, and to the St. Andrew’s School for Girls, and the Queen’s Hospital, a chartered institution, a large share of the property is left.” (Hawai‘i Supreme Court)

Queen Emma left the bulk of her estate, some 13,000 acres of land on the Big Island and in Waikiki on Oahu, in trust for the hospital that honors her.

The Queen’s Medical Center mission is to fulfill the intent of Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV to provide in perpetuity quality health care services to improve the well-being of Native Hawaiians and all the people of Hawaii.

Princess Likelike was the sister of a King and Queen – and the daughter of High Chief Kapaʻakea and Chiefess Analeʻa Keohokālole – her sister became Queen Liliʻuokalani and her brothers were King Kalākaua and William Pitt Leleiōhoku.

On September 22, 1870, Princess Likelike was married to Honolulu businessman Archibald Scott Cleghorn. The Cleghorns had one child Kaʻiulani (born on October 16, 1875) – “the only member of the Royal Family having issue.” (Daily Herald, February 3, 1887)

In 1887 when Master of Hawaiian Masonic Lodge, Monsarrat assisted in conferring the Mark Master’s degree on King Kalakaua at Iolani Palace.

Monsarrat married Carrie Capitola Tuttle in Honolulu, February 11, 1907. He was appointed District Magistrate of Honolulu, May 8, 1911 to May 31, 1917. He was later an examiner of titles for the Land Court.

Judge Monsarrat consolidated his professional interests in 1926, when he organized the Monsarrat Abstract and Title Co., his nephew, Marcus R Monsarrat, became associated with him at that time.

Judge Monsarrat was a member of the Outrigger Canoe, Harvard and British Clubs, and the Harvard Law School Association. He died September 20, 1943 in Honolulu.