MAU`UMAE KYUDOJO AT KAIMUKI - OCTOBER 21, 2025

Mau`umae Nature Park celebrated the beginning of a new Kyudojo in Kaimukī. On October 21, 2025 at 10:30 AM. Mayor Rick Blangiardi spoke of the success of the partnership between the City and County of Honolulu and the Hawai`i Kyudo Foundation (HKF).The Mayor spoke with pride about the public, private, and non-profit organizations coming together to build the first community Kyudojo at Mau`umae in Kaimukī.. The Kyudojo will be a place to study and practice the Kyudojo ways,. It is a silent martial art to trust goodness and beauty. The Kyudojo had many starts in 1991, 2001, and 2025 (The 3rd time around is the charm).

This undeveloped fire prone brush land on 16th Avenue and Claudine Street will be home to the new Kyudojo. It is estimated to cost $850,000.

Mizue Hasegawa, president and sensei of local archery club Hawai`i Kyudo Kai, says it’s the oldest martial art in Japan, one with deep philosophical roots. “We focus on three main goals: shin, the truth, zen, the goodness, and bi, the beauty,” she explains. “If you have all three, the arrow should go through the target. But hitting the target is not our main objective.”

Building Hawaii's First Japanese Traditional Archery Facility for Public Use. Kyudo is not merely a physical discipline but a path for personal growth, emphasizing mindfulness, self-discipline, and the cultivation of inner peace. By establishing this Kyudojo, they endeavor to offer the community an opportunity to engage in the practice of Kyudo, which brings together mind, body, and spirit in the pursuit of precision, harmony, and character development. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, the dojo will provide a supportive environment for learning and personal transformation, fostering a deeper connection to this noble tradition.

The Mayor exclaimed that the Mau`umae Kyudojo should be built and open in the summer of 2026.

The office of Dana Anne Yee, Landscape Architect, provided the 2001 Mau`umae Nature Center Landscape Masterplan and worked with Mr. Gerald Park on the Environmental Assessment Report over 20 years ago. She is currently helping Gerald and the Hawai`i Kyudojo Foundation with the Flora and Fauna for the current Environmental Assessment Report.

It was a happy occasion to see the Mau`umae Kyudojo come to life for the community. and it's champion, Bob Dewitz and his Sensei wife, Mizue Hasegawa.