Kawamoto readies more charity homes

Genshiro Kawamoto says five more Kahala homes will be ready for families to move in

A couple of mattresses, sofas, a futon and contemporary-style dining table with chairs fill the spacious, two-story home at 4332 Kahala Ave.

Japanese billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto is readying the large mansion for a family of 10, he said, which may soon increase to 12 with the addition of two babies.

The home, which he purchased in the summer of 2005 for $3.4 million, is modest and spacious, with five upstairs rooms painted in bright colors -- and plenty of built-in storage. Two look ideal as playrooms.

This week, Kawamoto revealed the addresses of five more homes that he plans to offer to native Hawaiian families for free as part of what he calls his Kahala Avenue Mission.

He has filled in the swimming pools and knocked down the walls surrounding the homes to ready them for move-in, possibly by end of June or early July.

In March, Kawamoto announced that he would offer eight homes in total to large families struggling to make ends meet.

Last fall, he had said he would offer homes for between $150 to $200 a month. But in March, he surprised three families by telling them they could stay for free, as long as they pay their own utilities.

They can stay up to 10 years, he said, or until the youngest child graduates from high school.

When Kawamoto first announced these plans, many thought he was joking. Some critics, mostly real estate agents, suspected an ulterior motive and said he was trying to devalue the properties.

But Kawamoto is carrying out his plan.

The lone billionaire, who divides his time between Honolulu and Japan, is often elusive and unpredictable.

In yesterday's tour of the Kahala homes, he said the families were not actually renting the homes, but house-sitting, as translated by his interpreter.

When asked whether more would become available, he said simply: "We'll see what happens."

Kawamoto personally interviewed and selected the families from more than 3,000 letters that poured in. He said he's 98 percent done with the selection process, although letters continue to pour in.

People have written him, he said, praising him for his mission, while others have requested financial loans.

When asked how it felt when he gave three families Kahala homes, rent-free, he said: "I had a great time. It made me happy to see them being so happy. I hope the kids will grow up and succeed in 10 years."

Kawamoto hasn't revealed what he will do with many of his oceanfront Kahala Avenue homes, one of which is a former Hemmeter estate.

Earlier, he announced some would be converted into museums to showcase his European, Oriental and American modern art collection. Yesterday, he said the museums would be free and open to the public.

The other properties to be offered to families are at 4806A and 4806B Kahala Ave., two spacious side-by-side homes with a tennis court in the back, and 4432 Kahala Ave., a modest, four-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath home.

Another home at 4286 Kahala Ave., a small cottage built in 1931, is being fixed up with new roofing and interior paint.