| Year Started: | 1918. Formerly known as Ginowan-Urasoe Doshikai and Ginowan Sonjinkai |
| Officers: | 1918, Kama Akamine, president; Saburo Uchima, vice president; Hiyakusai Miyashiro, secretary; Mrs. Toyo Uchima, treasurer. |
| Officers: | 1924, Seiyei Itomura, president; Sadao Asato, vice president and secretary; Mrs. Toyo Uchima, treasurer. |
| Postwar Presidents: | Masao Shinshiro (1949, 1954, 1967), Manki Higa (1950, 1958, 1961- 62), Sadao Asato (1951-52, 1959-60), Seiko Asato (1953), Koshige Tamanaha (1955), Seisho Inamine (1956), Shigeru Miyashiro (1957), Ricky Kiyabu (1963), Akira Sakima (1964), Matsuichi Shimabukuro (1965), Morinobu Nashiro (1966, 1974), Roy S Higa (1968), Kozen Miyashiro (1969), Yoshio Miyashiro (1970), Harry Shinshiro (1971), Richard Iha (1972), Dan Higa (1973), Eric Akamine (1975), Ralph Shimabukuro (1976), Mrs. Jane Sakima (1977-78), Richard K. Miyashiro (1970-80).. |
| Notes: | Notes by Koshige Tamanaha, Mrs. Toyo Uchima and Richard K. Miyashiro: The Ginowan Shijinkai of Hawaii has its roots in an informal organization begun in 1912 by about 12 persons originally from Ginowan and Urasoe. The purpose of the organization was to assist Ginowan and Urasoe families in times of need. In j1918 the group was restructured with officers to coordinate the family assistance program. An immediate purpose of the club was to entertain the Ginowan and Urasoe navy personnel of the Japanese Allied Force who had fought in World War I and were passing through Hawaii on their way home to Japan. During the 1920s, Ginowan families from the neighbor islands and the rural areas of Oahu began to move to Honolulu, resulting in a population large enough for a separate Ginowan club. In 1922, with mutual consent between the people of Ginowan and Urasoe, the Ginowan-Urasoe group divided into two groups. In the early years of the Ginowan club, Mrs. Toyo Uchima opened her home for club meetings nad kept the people of Ginowan together. After the suspension of club activities during World War II, the Ginowan club was reactivated through the coordination of Seiko Asato and Koshige Tamanaha. In recent times, Jane and Akira Sakima have been instrumental in keeping the club cohesive and active. When Ginowan- son, Okinawa, was redesignated as a shi in the latter part of the 1970s, the club changed its name to Ginowan-Shijinkai. |