A foundation dedicated to reviving Kyudo, the Japanese martial art of archery, has found an ideal site in Hawaii to build a dojo (training center) and hit its mark.
On Tuesday, the city announced a partnership with a private foundation to develop just over half an acre (0.57 acre) of undeveloped, overgrown land in Mau‘umae Nature Park in Kaimuki, near 16th Avenue and Claudine Street.
The $850,000 facility will be built and operated at no cost to taxpayers. It is being fully funded by the Hawaii Kyudo Foundation, board member Bob Dewitz confirmed. “We build it for free,” he said. Once completed, the structures will be “gifted back to the city.”
Groundbreaking is scheduled for early 2026, with completion expected by summer.
“We are blessed to have found such an ideal space to enhance the practice of this ancient and meditative form of archery,” said Hiroko Dewitz, president of the Hawaii Kyudo Foundation and one of the initiators of the kyudojo effort. In a news release, she added, “Our goal is to introduce new practitioners to the serene art of Kyudo, while welcoming back those who wish to reconnect with it.”
**A Home for Kyudo in Hawaii**
Kyudo has a 125-year history in Hawaii but has never had a permanent home. Bob Dewitz estimates there are currently about 75 active practitioners of Kyudo in Hawaii, with roughly 400 to 500 people having tried it at some point in their lives. He describes Kyudo more as a mental and physical discipline than as a sport.
During World War II, the dozens of Kyudo clubs in Hawaii that preserved Japanese culture were forcibly shut down. Their bows, arrows, and properties were confiscated, and the sensei (teachers) were sent to internment camps. Only one Kyudo club survived, though it never had a permanent facility. Archers have since used a small facility at a Japanese Buddhist temple and a cramped auditorium at another temple.
Currently, there are three Kyudo teachers in Hawaii, and senior senseis in Japan have expressed interest in conducting seminars locally.
**Facility and Community Integration**
The foundation is accepting donations for the project but does not anticipate any funding challenges. Kyudo practitioners wear tabi, a sock-like footwear that requires smooth floors, so the dojo will be an indoor training facility rather than an outdoor archery range.
The foundation will operate and maintain the programs, which will be open to the public under the supervision of the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation. Annual maintenance and upkeep are estimated at nearly $20,000.
The recreation and education facility will include stylized structures designed specifically for practicing and teaching Kyudo, but it will not be limited to this use alone. The center will also host community and cultural events such as hula, lua (Hawaiian martial arts), and community meetings.
“One of our greatest strengths in these islands is the diversity of our people, and how we are all able to find space to share our unique cultures,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi in a written statement.
“A big mahalo to the Hawai‘i Kyudo Foundation for their extensive work organizing and executing this effort, all while incorporating the immediate community in their efforts. Like a Kyudo archer, they draw their bow not necessarily to destroy their target but to master themselves. This is truly an embodiment of living with purpose, harmony, and the quiet power of aloha. We are eagerly looking forward to seeing this community resource become a reality so that everyone can enjoy this unique facility.”
**Project Details and Community Response**
The kyudojo is planned to be open three days a week for four hours each day, with a rangemaster overseeing safety. The foundation has secured the support of 25 construction firms donating services and materials.
Plans include:
– A 19-stall parking lot
– A Japanese garden
– Landscaping using native plants
– A target bank (matoba)
– A 98-foot arrow path (yamichi)
– An open-air shooting house (shajo)
– A restroom
– A classroom
The shajo, from which archers shoot, is part of a larger building with an attached meeting room. A separate, smaller building will serve as the matoba, an open-faced shed with a sand berm where targets are placed. Between the shajo and matoba lies the yamichi, an uncovered grassy area where three to six archers stand side by side taking turns aiming down the shooting gallery, which will measure approximately 48 to 50 feet wide.
Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Chair Brian Kang reported that community reaction has been “very positive,” with no opposition heard. The foundation went door-to-door in the neighborhood and appeared before the board three or four times to explain the project, its progress, ongoing city discussions, and design plans. Last week, they shared their agreement with the city.
Some residents had concerns about access, but it was clarified that the center would also host other events, which reassured the community. The board passed a resolution supporting the project.
“I think it’s a good use of that area. I think it’s appropriate for that site. It’s a good design. It will provide a facility that the foundation can use as well as the community can use,” Kang said.
A flat, grassy area on the makai (ocean) side of the park will remain open, while the kyudojo will be constructed on the mauka (mountain) side.
Nick Serota, spokesperson for the Department of Parks and Recreation, confirmed the kyudojo will be a city facility. This arrangement is similar to the one made with the United Korean Association of Hawaii, which in 2022 transformed an underutilized city building at Makiki District Park into a space for public classes and programs.
He noted that Mau‘umae Nature Park is currently a passive park with just a few benches and trees, but the new project will transform the area into a more recreational space for the community.
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The new kyudojo is set to become a hub for preserving and sharing the ancient art of Japanese archery, fostering cultural understanding, and providing a versatile space for community enrichment in Kaimuki.
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/10/25/hawaii-news/japanese-archery-tradition-finds-home-in-kaimuki/