![SpaResortHawaiiansCrowded](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/SpaResortHawaiiansCrowded.jpg)
, located in the city of
Iwaki,
Fukushima Prefecture, is a
resort and
theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
in
Japan. It opened on January 15, 1966 as the Joban Hawaiian Center, becoming the first in the country.
History
The resort was an outgrowth of the mining industry. The modern coal mining in the Joban coal field was started on the exposed areas of the coal field near the foot of the Abukuma mountains in 1883. By 1944 the
Joban Mine had become Japan's largest mine due, in no small part, to the use of forced labour by Allied Prisoners of War. The Joban Tanko continued to flourish throughout the 1950s but as Japan's economy shifted from being powered by
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when ...
to
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
in the 1960s, the owners realized that the mine's useful life was limited. Yutaka Nakamura, the vice president, was determined to extend the mine's life somehow, and hit upon the idea of using the area's hot springs, an inconvenience to the mines, to open a resort. He selected a
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
an theme.
One of the Resort's most well-known features is its dance troupe. Rather than inviting an outside troupe to perform, the company decided to create its own, and initially trained 18 employees' daughters. In the very close-knit mining community, entire families would work at the Resort. Nakamura intentionally kept the hotel small at the beginning, so the local ''
ryokan
A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features ''tatami''-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. du ...
'' would benefit from the increased business, and purchased as much as possible from local suppliers.
Its popularity reached its peak in 1970–71, as attendance passed 1.55 million visitors per year.
In 1989, Joban Hawaiian Center received the
Deming Application Prize
The Deming Prize is the longest-running and one of the highest awards on TQM (Total Quality Management) in the world. It recognizes both individuals for their contributions to the field of Total Quality Management (TQM) and businesses that have s ...
, becoming the first leisure-industry company to win this
quality control award. In 1990, it changed its name to Spa Resort Hawaiians, reflecting an increased focus on the spa facilities.
In 2004, it was the tenth most popular theme park in Japan, with 1.5 million visitors.
The resort was damaged by the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and forced to close. While it was closed, its hula girls troupe toured Japan performing at earthquake refugee shelters and other venues. The resort reopened on 8 February 2012 with increased structural support and bigger stage for its hula girls show.
Iwaki lost 277 people from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Being farther from the sea, Spa Resort Hawaiians was not damaged by the initial quake and tsunami of March 11 but suffered damage from the aftershock a month later. More damaging still for the Joban Hawaiian Centre were the reactor explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which made many people reluctant to visit the resort due to the fear of radiation.
This triggered the memory of the owner of the Joban Hawaiian Centre, Mr. Saitou who accompanied the first Hula Girls all over Japan to promote the centre. He says this reputation is worse than closing the mine.
Mr. Satou has decided to revive tour of Hula Girls after 45 years to cheer people still living in shelters and to aid Fukushima's recovery.
Ex-Iwaki Hula Girls are also part of the project. They have decided to hold Japan Hula "high school" Girls Competition in Koushien, Osaka. After the quake, this project seemed to have fallen through but 13 high schools competed and moreover, they ran a campaign to raise funds for the event.
Earthquake repairs and renovations were finally completed in early 2012 and Spa Resort Hawaiians reopened completely on February 8, 2012.
Parent company
Joban Kosan is a Japanese company, which manages Spa Resort Hawaiians.
Popular Culture
The 2006 film ''
Hula Girls
is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, E ...
'' was based on the story of the founding of the resort.
References
External links
Home page
Home page
Spa Resort Hawaiians
{{Coord, 36.993634, 140.81652 , format=dms , display=title , type:landmark_region:JP-07
Resorts in Japan
Iwaki, Fukushima
Buildings and structures in Fukushima Prefecture
Tourist attractions in Fukushima Prefecture
Hula
1966 establishments in Japan