Created to honor the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawai’I, the King David Kalākaua Monument is located in a traffic circle in Honolulu, Hawaii. One of the roads in this traffic circle is Kalākaua Avenue, highlighting what it can look like to further embrace the legacy of an entire region in multiple ways that connect audiences to the past and present of a region.
Honoring the Father of Japanese Immigration to Hawaii
David Kalākaua succeeded to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawai’I in 1874 and ruled with his queen, Kapi‘olani. He was the catalyst for the revival and flowering of Hawaiian intellectual and artistic traditions that took place in the last quarter of the 19th century. He was also an accomplished musician and composed the words of what would become the State of Hawaii’s official anthem.
The King David Kalākaua Monument was commissioned in 1985 on behalf of the Japanese-American community that has a major presence in Hawaii. This is part of the reason he has been honored as the “Father of Japanese Immigration to Hawaii.”
Markers at the base of the monument highlight and detail this history in multiple places and languages, which is topped by a nearly twice-life-sized statue of King David Kalākaua himself. Erected in 1991, the monuments shows him holding a speech and looking off into the horizon.
Landscaped with bushes, flowers and a fountain, the circular enclosure where Kalākaua Avenue and Kuhio Avenue converge celebrates the legacy of Hawaii in a space that would otherwise be empty or unremarkable, highlighting what it can mean when a physical and cultural legacy is cultivated to the benefits of both residents and visitors.
A Merging of Legacies and Logistics
Mentioned as thoroughly Hawaiian but also cosmopolitan, King David Kalākaua represents the merging of legacies. The traffic circle where the King David Kalākaua Monument resides literally merges two main thoroughfares of Honolulu in a way that celebrates his revival of many Hawaiian cultural customs, enabling audiences to experience the spirit and legacy of Hawaii in multiple ways.
