Ehime Maru Memorial

The Ehime Maru Memorial in Kakaako Waterfront Park in Honolulu, was built by the Japanese to remember the tragic accident involving the USS Greeneville (a submarine) and the Ehime Maru (a Japanese fishing boat) on February 9, 2001. The incident happened several nautical miles south of Oahu, and was the cause of a lot of controversy because of the circumstances leading up to the collision. (Basically, there were civilians on the bridge of the sub, which may have played a role in the mishap.) It was a cause for concern on both sides of the Pacific.

On November 11, 2001, the Ehime Maru Memorial Association was formed as a non-profit to oversee a memorial of some sort to remember the tragic events. The Governor of Hawaii at the time, Benjamin Cayetano, donated a spot of land in Kakaako Waterfront Park to honor the crew and high school students who lost their lives when a US Navy submarine surfaced without warning and struck the Ehime Maru.

If you're in Honolulu and remember hearing all about the Ehime Maru when it was on the news many years ago, stopping at the Ehime Maru Memorial in Kakaako Waterfront Park is an interesting way to immerse yourself in a piece of modern history. The whole incident was tragic, but the simple memorial is a fitting and solemn way to remember those who lost their lives when the submarine struck the fishing boat. Stopping by to pay your respects is a thought if you're in the area. When you're done, there are a lot of other things to do in the area as well.