Received from Anonymous 5/28/18: I’ve been trying to trace Taira family in Okinawa. My grandparents migrated in late 1800 or early 1900 to Hawaii, settling first in Kaneohe than in Kalihi. If you have any info, I’d appreciate. Growing up in Kalihi, I now live in California. We used to attend the Haneji picnics.

My response: Hi, Anonymous. You’re in luck. Rodney Inefuku, who publishes in Liuchiuan from time to time, writes prolifically about both topics: Taira and Haneji. See a few of his articles: Are the Taira in Okinawa Descendants of the Heike? 9/10/14, Haneji Community Center – Sometime After 1945 1/27/15, Okinawa’s Elevated Storehouses 10/12/14, Okinawan Festival 2014: Good Food, Good Friends, Good Fun 9/17/14, My Trip to Okinawa in March 2015 4/9/15, Okinawan and Japanese Boats 8/6/16. I’ll email and tip him off that you’re looking for information. Hopefully, he’ll be able to answer any specific questions that you might have. This is a possible conversation that most of us are interested in, so I hope you’ll talk story here in this forum. -Jim