University of Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Dennis Masaaki Ogawa was one of five individuals honored as a Living Treasure of Â鶹´«Ã½ by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Â鶹´«Ã½.
Over the past four decades, the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Â鶹´«Ã½ has recognized more than 190 men and women as Living Treasures of Â鶹´«Ã½ for their sustained contributions to enriching society. This year’s honorees also included a zoology specialist, a copper artist, a volunteer and a master of Hawaiian language.
About Dennis Masao Ogawa
Born in Manzanar, California, Ogawa received his PhD from the in 1969, where he was honored as one of the founders of the university’s . That same year, he joined the at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Mānoa, where he pioneered the first courses on Japanese Americans. He continues his tenure till today, educating students on the Japanese American experience and encouraging them to develop a deep appreciation of their own cultural heritage.
Professor Ogawa’s books, a number of which are University of Â鶹´«Ã½ Press best sellers, include Jan Ken Po: The World of Â鶹´«Ã½’s Japanese Americans, Kodomo No Tame Ni: For The Sake of The Children and An Unlikely Revolutionary: Matsuo Takabuki and The Making of Modern Â鶹´«Ã½ (assisted in autobiography).
A recipient of numerous awards, Professor Ogawa last year received the commendation from the Japanese Consulate in Honolulu.