The Living Treasures of Hawaii program was created in 1976 by the Buddhist temple Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii to honor residents of Hawaii. It was inspired by the Living National Treasures of Japan award, and is awarded annually.
The criteria for selection are, "First, the designee must demonstrate continuous growth in his or her field; second, the potential Living Treasure must have made significant contributions toward a more humane and fraternal society (and this perhaps is the most important criteria); and finally, he or she must have shown an on-going striving for excellence and a high level of accomplishment."Stone, Scott S.C. Living Treasures of Hawaii 25th Anniversary of the Selections of Outstanding Persons as Honored by The Honpa Honwanji Mission of Hawai'i Island Heritage, Honolulu (2000) Honorees are nominated by members of the general public by August 1 of each year, and chosen by a committee designated by the temple.
These are the people who have been so honored.
1970s
1976 Charles Kenn
1977
1978 Theodore Kelsey
1979
1980s
1980
1981 Solomon Kekipi Bright Sr. Oswald Bushnell Leo Ohai Leon J. Edel William H. Meinecke Isamu Noguchi Juliet Rice Wichman
1982 Juliette May Fraser Annie Lehua Asam Kanahele Richard Lyman Jr. Silver Kiniohi Piliwale James Ka'upena Wong Jr.
1983 Homer Ahu'ula Hayes Rubellite Kawena Kinney Johnson Zaneta Ho'oululahui Cambra Richards Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona Emily Kau'i Zuttermeister
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990s
1990 Richard Kekuni Blaisdell Edmond Lee Browning Frances Patches McKinnon Damon Holt Kyo Kawabata
1991
1992 Helen Hoakalei Kamau'u David Nu'uhiwa Enoka Kaohelauli'i Marie Emilia Leilehua McDonald Harry Seisho Nakasone Matsuno Yasui
1993
1994
1995 Don Ho Sally Fletcher Murchison Leone Kamana Okamura
1996 Wallace F. Froiseth Hiroki Morinoue Shinichi Suzuki
1997
1998
1999
2000s
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010s
2010 S. Stanley Okamoto Elizabeth Kawohiokalani Ellis Jenkins Paul Weissich Rev. Toshihide Numata Patti Lyons
2011 Josephine Kaukali Fergerstrom Dr. Claire Ku’uleilani Hughes Masaru Oshiro Dr. Jack H. Scaff Jr., Dr. Livingston M.F. Wong, MD, FACS
2012 Barbara Kawakami Ben Finney Goro Arakawa Gordon Mark Lynette Paglinawan
2013
2014 Ida Keliʻiokalani Chun Samuel ʻOhukaniʻohiʻa Gon III Robert Mitsuru Hamada Arthur and Rene Kimura Chikai Yosemori
2015
2016 Paul Leland Breese Sooriya Kumar Puakea M. Nogelmeier Dennis Masaaki Ogawa Lillian Noda Yajima
2017 Ryokan Ara Beatrice Kanahele Dawson Nobuko Kida Roy Sakuma George Yokoyama
2018
2019
2020s
2020
2021 Not awarded in 2021, during COVID-19 pandemic
2022
2023
2024
References