COURTESY JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER OF HAWAI'I
Big Island artist Hiroki Morinoue's portrait of a pioneer coffee farming couple, the Tanimas, is part of "The Kona Coffee Story" exhibit. The farmers are shown holding the lauhala basket used to hold picked coffee cherries and the wooden rake used to rake drying coffee.
Kona Coffee
has rich heritage
Kona coffee is about more than a jolt of caffeine. It's about the cultural history of a region, the work ethic of a community and the innovation of a small group of agricultural pioneers.
The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i reviews all of that through the exhibit "The Kona Coffee Story: Along the Hawai'i Belt Road," opening Saturday.
A free reception, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, will include the play, "Kona Coffee Days," presented by the Kona Historical Society. Gerald Kinro, author of "A Cup of Aloha: The Kona Coffee Epic," will sign his book. Appetizers and pure Kona coffee will be served.
The exhibit explains the intricacies of growing coffee, incorporating the stories of the immigrant families who created an industry.
The exhibit runs through April 24. Admission is free. Call 945-7633.
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