A formal memorandum of agreement signing ceremony cemented an exchange program between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture and Nagaoka Institute of Design (NID) in Japan on Friday, August 14, 2015, at the Architecture Auditorium. Signing the agreement were UH Mānoa School of Architecture Dean Daniel Friedman and NID President and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Hiromu Wada.
It was the first major event in sister city Honolulu for the visiting delegation from Nagaoka, timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
In attendance at the signing ceremony were approximately 50 individuals from Nagaoka City, including Mayor Tamio Mori and his wife, Hisayo, and members of the family of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the fleet admiral and commander-in-chief of the combined fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. A large group of Japanese media was also in attendance.
Leading the UH Mānoa contingent was Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Reed Dasenbrock, Friedman and Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities Peter Arnade.
The NID contingent included President Wada, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Juntaro Tsuru and Vice Chairman of the Board Masami Kawamura.
Said Friedman, “The school was honored to participate in this expression of enduring peace and friendship between our two cities and nations, through rich and productive programs of student and faculty exchange, in service to our communities, around shared problems related to design, built environments, and well-being.”
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell sent a message of congratulations, which was read prior to the signing ceremony.
Also at the gathering, there was a moment of silence for Architecture Professor
There was a screening of a short video, titled “Message of Peace,” which featured Nagaoka school children.
