HONOLULU KYUDOJO AT MAUʻUMAEA A Joint Development with the City & County of Honolulu

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We’re thrilled to share a major milestone in our journey: On May 14, the Hawaii Kyudo Foundation (HKF) signed a formal joint development agreement with the City and County of Honolulu to design, construct, and operate a Kyudojo — a traditional Japanese archery range — at Mau‘mae Nature Park on 16th Avenue in Kaimuki.

Under this landmark agreement, the City will provide the land, and HKF will fund the design and construction of the dojo. Once completed, the facility will be gifted to the City — a lasting contribution to the cultural and recreational life of our community. HKF will operate the Kyudojo on behalf of the City, ensuring it remains safe, well-maintained, and accessible to the public. Our goal is to introduce new practitioners to the art of kyudo while welcoming back those who wish to reconnect with it.

We thank Mayor Blangiardi and his administration for bringing this innovative public/private

partnership to fruition. We also thank City Council Chair Tommy Waters for his support. Lending particular vigor to this initiative were Chief of Staff Andy Sugg, Director of Parks and Recreation Laura Thielen, DPR Administrator Dori Amano-Mitsui, and Corporate Counsel Dana Viola. Also giving valuable input and support were the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board and its Chair, Brian Kang, and Lori Yamada of EnVision Kaimuki.

Progress is well underway. The structural design is complete, an initial deposit has been made to the building fabricator, and our production slot is secured. Additional design work is ongoing, and we expect all plans to be finalized by September 30. Our consultants are also actively preparing the required Environmental Assessment. While the process is detailed and time-consuming, we’re confident — based on prior studies — that the project will receive a “Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact.”

We’re also pleased to announce new additions to the HKF Board of Directors. Curtis Harada Ai Oyama, and Carol Yatsuoka, of Hawaii Kyudo Kai — the state’s oldest kyudo club — have joined us, bringing their deep business experience and passion for kyudo to the Foundation. We also welcome Craig Wagnild, a senior partner at Lung Rose Voss & Wagnild, whose legal and organizational insight will be a great asset.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll begin community outreach to support the construction phase. Supporters will be recognized on our website, which will be launching soon at HawaiiKyudoFoundation.org. Although our campaign hasn’t officially begun, we’re excited to share that several organizations have already pledged their support by offering free or significantly discounted services and materials for the project:

Urban Works Inc IBEW Local 1186 Operating Engineers Local 3 The Bathroom Store DSE Hawaii American Electric Co LLC

Sam O. Hirota Inc. KAI Hawaii Inc. Inatsuka Engineering LLC

 COSCO Air Conditioning & Refrigeration/Daikin Corp. Goodfellow Bros. LLC Dorvin D. Leis Inc Murata Landscape Architect LLC

For further information on how you can support this project, contact Bob Dewitz at bobdewitz@outlook.com, Ph. 808-371-0216.