In A Hidden Hawaiʻi Gulch, A Wartime Secret Opens To The Public

In a remote, sweltering gulch in central Oʻahu, a wartime secret opened to the public this year, marking 80 years since Honouliuli National Historic Site closed. The site, once the largest and longest-operating of Hawaii's 17 known wartime detention centers, now welcomes visitors through a pilot program. Free guided tours, led by a rotation of volunteer docents, are held for up to 22 people each month until the end of the year. Over 1,800 individuals have already joined the waiting list for these tours.

Honouliuli's history began shortly after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and military installations across Oʻahu on December 7, 1941. Martial law was swiftly implemented, and the FBI, having a list of suspects, began arresting individuals, including American citizens accused of no crime. Within two years, in March 1943, the detention facility was established in a remote area of the island.

The camp, operating until 1946, held prisoners who gave the valley its grim nickname, "Jigoku Dani," or "Hell Valley," due to the oppressive heat that pooled at the bottom of the ravine. Superintendent Christine Ogura emphasized the importance of sharing this hidden history, stating that it is crucial for local children to learn about this event in Hawaii, not just the mainland.

While the majority of the 2,000+ Japanese Americans arrested following Pearl Harbor were relocated to camps on the mainland, 400 were held in Hawaii. Initially detained at a camp on Sand Island, the majority were eventually transferred to Honouliuli. The facility, situated near Schofield Barracks, became the territory's largest prisoner of war camp, housing nearly 4,000 people at its peak.