Chief of Staff Andy Sugg welcomed Dr. Hiroya Sugano of Shizuoka, Japan, at Honolulu Hale during his visit to Hawaii for the Pearl Harbor memorial events taking place December 5-10. Dr. Sugano came to express his gratitude to the city and people of Honolulu for their continued support of U.S.-Japan reconciliation efforts.
For decades, Dr. Sugano has worked closely with the National Park Service, Pacific Historic Parks, and the U.S. military to preside over the Blackened Canteen Ceremony, held annually on December 8th at the USS Arizona Memorial. The ceremony honors 23 U.S. aircrew members who died in a bombing mission over Shizuoka during World War II, along with approximately 2,000 Japanese civilians who perished in the same raid.
The ceremony’s origins date to June 19-20, 1945, when two American B-29 bombers collided over Shizuoka during an air raid. Local farmer Fukumatsu Itoh recovered the bodies of fallen American airmen and buried them alongside Japanese victims. Among the wreckage, he found a scorched canteen marked by an airman’s fingerprints. Each year, Itoh returned to pour bourbon into the earth honoring both American and Japanese lives lost.
Dr. Sugano, who witnessed the destruction as a child, was moved by Itoh’s legacy. After becoming a physician, he dedicated himself to peace advocacy and continued the tradition. In the 1990s, he brought the ceremony to Pearl Harbor, where it has become an annual tradition.
Each December 8th, Dr. Sugano pours bourbon from the historic blackened canteen into the waters above the USS Arizona, bringing together American and Japanese officials in a gesture of reconciliation. The ceremony demonstrates that former adversaries can become the closest of allies.
During his meeting with Chief of Staff Sugg, Dr. Sugano expressed deep appreciation for the assistance that Honolulu has provided over the years, fostering enduring bonds between Japan and Hawaii.
For more information about the Blackened Canteen Ceremony, visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org/the-blackened-canteen.
