PAC It Up!

July 23, 2026

Photo courtesy of Dennis Fujimoto, The Garden Island

"VOICES BEHIND BARBED WIRE"

Saturday, July 25, 4pm FREE!

The film was brought to the PAC by Christine Ogura, Superintendent of the Honouliulu National Historical Site.

Born and raised on Oʻahu in Moiliili, Christine worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 14 years before joining the NPS in 2024. She also worked for the late U.S. Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink and for non-profits acquiring lands for the NPS and supported international conservation efforts in more than 10 countries. She was the planner for the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Action Plan and managed the Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s Watershed Partnerships program, which involved over 60 public-private landowners/partners.

In her role, working with others, Christine shepherds a site dedicated to telling the history of incarceration, martial law, and the experience of prisoners of war in Hawaiʻi during World War II. It is a place to reflect on wartime experiences.

THE PANEL

Following the film, there will be a three person panel.

Carole Hayashino is the President Emerita of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. Carole helped to bring national attention to Hawai‘i’s World War II internment camps and preserve Honouliuli as a national monument site. She served as JCCH president and executive director from 2011 to 2019.

In 2018, as a member of the Gannenmono Committee, she produced the short documentary, Gannenmono: Hawai‘i’s First Japanese Immigrants with Ryan Kawamoto and worked with the Hawai‘i State Archives on a special exhibition of historical documents on the Gannenmono immigrants’ journey and work in Hawai‘i.

Following the JCCH, Carole served as Director of Protocol and Community Affairs for Governor David Y. Ige until December 2022.

Prior to coming to Hawai’i, Carole served as Vice President for University Advancement at California State University Sacramento and Associate Vice President at San Francisco State University (SFSU). She also taught in Asian American Studies at SFSU. During the 1980s, Carole was involved in the Japanese American Citizens League national legislative campaign for redress and reparations and later served as the national associate director. Her awards include the Japanese American of the Biennium Award in Education and Humanities from the National JACL; JCCH Spirit of Aloha Award, JASH Bridge Award, National Japanese American Historical Society Advocacy Award, Marin County Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award, Special Appreciation Award from the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Community Leadership Award, Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California.

Carole is a member of the U.S.-Japan Council, Hiroshima Kenjin Kai, United Japanese Society of Hawai’i, Japanese Women’s Society Foundation, Yushin Kai, American Leadership Forum, and serves on the Legacy Board of the California State University Sacramento.

Ryan Kawamoto, Director of VOICES BEHIND BARBED WIRE, has been with Kinetic Productions based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i for over 11-plus years where he has established himself as a television and film director with a flair for storytelling. He is a fourth-generation Japanese American. His great grandparents emigrated to Hawai‘i from the Yamaguchi and Hiroshima Prefectures during the early 20th century. Kawamoto served as the writer, director, and editor of The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i.

“Voices Behind Barbed Wire: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” presented by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi was awarded a 2020 Preservation Honor Award by the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation.

His most recent documentary, “Removed by Force: The Eviction of Hawaiʻi’s Japanese Americans During WWII,” received a Gold Telly at the 46th Annual Telly Awards in the category of Film History.

Ryan has an undergraduate degree in political science and visual arts from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He also wrote and published a 372-page graphic novel and worked in the California State Legislature.

Carol Kouchi Yotsuda – WWII Internment Camp 1942 – 45

Reverend Tadao Kouchi, Buddhist Minister at Lanai City, Lanai when WWII broke out, after being jailed with Japanese School Sensei Hasegawa in the two-room Jail next to Lanai City Jail (it still exists as it has been placed on the Historical Registry), was sent with his young family – wife Harumi, sons Claude, Stanley and newborn Norman and daughter Carol – to the mainland to a Japanese Internment Camp.

They were shipped out from Sand Island on steam ships along with many other Japanese-American citizens who were considered threats to national security. After a brief holding stopover in a boarding house in California, they were sent by train first to Jerome, Arkansas where they roomed with another family and later to Rohwar, Arkansas so they could be united as a family. They spent three years from 1942 until 1945 living in Block 15 until the end of the war.

While imprisoned with other Japanese American families, the family lived in barracks with all the other internees, Reverend Kouchi continued his ministry and developed his photography skills, Harumi raised her family and gave birth to daughter Elsie. They lost younger brother Norman to pneumonia during the harsh winter of 1944-45.

After the war ended, the family was sent back to Hawaii and stayed briefly at the Honpa Hongwanji Mission on Fort Street and with relatives in Liliha until they were returned to Lanai City, Lanai. They lived with the Namba family across the street from Koele Lodge until they re-built the temple at the entrance corner of Lanai City, Lanai. The temple still stands.

In spring of 1949 they moved to Waimea Valley to rebuild the temple ravaged by the Waimea River floods and continued ministry there until fall of 1952 . The family moved to the newly-built Hanapepe Hongwanji Mission Temple where a thriving program of temple, Japanese language school, Nursery School and community events were carried out until the retirement of Reverend Kouchi.

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Carol is a Kaua`i artist who redefines for us all what it means to bring art to the people — and people to the arts. In the past 32 years, since she co-founded the Garden Island Arts Council, Carol has brought over one million dollars in funding to Kaua`i for arts programs and projects. For the past four years, she has been the unpaid Garden Island Arts Council Executive Director. During that time, she’s forged community collaborations, working on behalf of art and artists as she continues, often in the wee hours, to create her own award-winning artwork and brilliantly

perceptive writings. In her nearly 37-and- a-half years of teaching art, she inspired thousands of children, many of whom have gone on themselves to be successful performing and fine artists.

VOICES BEHIND BARBED WIRE

Saturday, July 25

4pm

FREE!

On February 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the establishment of internment camps for people of Japanese ancestry. Relocation centers were stationed throughout the country with several in Hawaiʻi on multiple islands. This film shares untold first-hand accounts of Hawaiʻi State residents and their experiences of being detained during World War II.

The Honouliulu National Historic Site preserves the largest and longest used incarceration site in Hawaii during WWII. Local Japanese were arrested right after December 7^th and sent to camps here and on the continent. Kauai had three such sites as seen on the map below.

The one hour film will be followed by a live panel, including people held at the camps.

Sponsors: Honouliulu National Historical Site, Lihu`e Public Library, Kinetic Productions and Kaua`i Performing Arts Ctr

FREE Foreign Films

Saturday, July 25

1:15 Hungarian WWII Thriller*****

4pm Honouliuli National Historic Site presents VOICES BEHIND BARBED WIRE

Sunday, July 26

1pm French Romantic Comedy *****

3pm Spanish Mystery *****

All films are free to the public.

ISLAND MAGIC MIKE

Saturday, August 8, 6pm

Born and raised on the North Shore of O’ahu, Mike Garcia is a connoisseur of local comedy. Growing up he was considered the class clown, and now has taken his gift and turned it into his profession and passion. Mike gained local notoriety with his skits on TikTok and instagram, and has since appeared in commercials + emcee’d many different events + performed stand up comedy and sold out The Blue Note Hawaii, and the Hawaii Theatre. His positive and infectious energy will surely have you leaving with many laughs and memories!

Tickets

The Kauai Concert Association

SINFONIA

2026-27 Season Opener!

Saturday, Sept 5, 7pm.

DVORAK New World Symphony

Special Guest Director: Tito Munoz

TICKETS

TUMUA: Das How Tour - Kauai

Saturday, Sept 19

Tumua is a stand-up Comedian, podcaster, former collegiate athlete, actor, and social media personality. His online presence reaches over 700 thousand + followers combined. Tumua was born and raised on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. His social media sketches and stand-up bits are very well known in the Polynesian community throughout the world!

Tickets

Doors Open 5pm...Debate Starts 6pm

CIVIL BEAT Kauai Mayoral Debate

Friday, Sept 25, FREE!

Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Oct 1 & 2

ALBOROSIE & SHENGEN CLAN

Don't miss international reggae icon Alborosie & Shengen Clan live at Kauai PAC for an unforgettable night of contemporary roots reggae!

Sunday, November 15, 2026 TICKETS

John Denver Christmas Tues, Dec 29, 7:30pm

TICKETS

Rocky Mountain High Experience® starring Rick Schuler, America’s Top John Denver Tribute is an unforgettable, magical, and intimate experience that will take you back to the ’70s when John Denver was everywhere. The superstar sold-out arenas from coast to coast, his music permeated the airways spanning the radio dial, had 29 television specials and even starred on the silver screen in the smash hit "Oh God" not to mention the multitude of gold and platinum records he sold.

Rick's enchanting show unlike any other features all your favorite Denver hits including Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” “Take Me Home County Roads,” “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” “Annie’s Song,” and “Thank God I’m a County Boy,” just to name a few.

Schuler wondrously weaves in John’s heartwarming inspirational stories from Denver's many memorable TV specials and appearances.

Rocky Mountain High Experience® wondrously captivates audiences young and old alike so don’t miss the ultimate and incomparable event of the season as you’ll swear, you’re back in the ’70s with John Denver on stage.

TICKETS

David Sedaris, America’s best-selling humorist and social satirist, returns following the publication of his most recent book of short stories, “Happy Go Lucky”, and his first ever children’s book, “Pretty Ugly”. In his customary sartorial and humorous manner, David will make you laugh and think in equal measures, with all new, unpublished stories and commentary. As always, the reading will be accompanied by a pre and post-show book signing.