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<\/a>H\u014dk\u016ble\u02bba sails into a sunset while on a previous voyage. (File Image: Screenshot from video courtesy of Polynesian Voyaging Society)<\/p>\nPolynesian Voyaging Society is working with Japan representatives to develop a sail plan for next year\u2019s visit, with possible ports of call that would include Okinawa, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Ehime, Yokohama, Hokkaid\u014d, and others.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind: Port locations are subject to change and could be updated.<\/p>\n
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The Japan segment of the Moananui\u0101kea Voyage will represent an opportunity to reaffirm the deep ties between Hawai\u02bbi and Japan, along with their common values of respect for nature.<\/p>\n
It will also serve as a platform to share the stories about Japan\u2019s oceans, mountains and rivers with the world, as well as the wisdom of living in harmony with nature embodied in concepts such as satoyama and satoumi (ahupua\u02bba).<\/p>\n
The voyage furthermore encourages people to recognize \u201cwe are all stewards of the Earth,\u201d who need to take meaningful action toward a better future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ocean is not a boundary that separates us, but a pathway that connects us all,\u201d said pwo navigator and Polynesian Voyaging Society Chief Executive Officer Nainoa Thompson in an announcement about the Japan visits. \u201cThis voyage to Japan is not simply a return, it is an opportunity to reaffirm our shared values and responsibilities: to care for one another and to protect the ocean that sustains life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thompson added that the canoes and their crews come to Japan not as visitors, but as members of one global family.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are here to listen, to learn and to act,\u201d he said. \u201cWith a deep commitment to peace, hope and the responsibility we share to protect our oceans and our children\u2019s future, we stand together to ensure these values are carried forward to the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hawai\u02bbi and Japan share a deep and enduring connection rooted in the history of Japanese immigration and built on a legacy of mutual support and peaceful coexistence.<\/p>\n
This history is not simply a reflection of the past, it serves as a guiding principle for the future \u2014 one that chooses connection instead of division and compassion instead of conflict.<\/p>\n
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Polynesian Voyaging Society during the 2027 voyage to Japan will engage with communities at ports of call throughout the country fostering dialogue about voyaging traditions, environmental stewardship and a shared responsibility to live in harmony with the ocean.<\/p>\n