David Y. Ige

Honolulu – Gov. David Ige and First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige welcomed the Governor of Hiroshima, Japan, Hidehiko Yuzaki, and his delegation to the Hawaiʻi State Library on Wednesday.

“Libraries can serve as a way for countries to connect through literature, the love of reading, and an exchange of ideas which brings our world closer together in a meaningful way,” said First Lady Ige.

Gov. Yuzaki’s visit to Hawaiʻi complimented Gov. and Mrs. Ige’s visit to Hiroshima this August, where the two governors signed a Sister State Library Agreement at the Hiroshima Prefectural Library.

“It was an honor to welcome Governor Yuzaki as we continue strengthening the bonds between the State of Hawaiʻi and Hiroshima Prefecture,” said Gov. Ige. “Our Sister State Library Agreement is one of the many ways we are building a strong future of collaboration and mutual understanding.”

State of Hawai‘i Librarian Stacey Aldrich and Hawaiʻi State Library Manager Baron Baroza led the two governors on a tour of the Hawaiʻi State Library, located next to the State Capitol and ʻIolani Palace in downtown Honolulu.

They posed for photos in the Edna Allan Children’s Library, where the books exchanged between Hiroshima and Hawaiʻi were on display. The books given to Hiroshima by Mrs. Ige include “Leilani Blessed and Grateful” by ʻIolani School teachers Greg Bowman and Alan Suemori, illustrated by Jamie Tablason, and “Snow Angel, Sand Angel” by author, poet and educator Lois-Ann Yamanaka, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky.

The Hawaiʻi State Library also contains a collection of local high school yearbooks. Aldrich showed the governors a Punahou yearbook with former President Barack Obama’s photo and a Pearl City yearbook with Gov. Ige’s photo.

The visiting Hiroshima library staff were also taken on tours of the Nānākuli and Waipahu public libraries.

Photos of the visit to Hawaiʻi State Library are posted here.

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Media Contacts:

Cindy McMillan

Communications Director

Office of the Governor

Office: 808-586-0012

Mobile: 808-265-7974

[email protected]

Jesse Broder Van Dyke

Deputy Communications Director/Press Secretary

Office of the Governor

Office: 808-586-0043

Mobile: 808-798-3929

[email protected]