Public Invited to Kaua‘i Certificate Ceremony for Okinawan Lifeguard Exchange

Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau has invited the public to a certificate ceremony at Moʻikeha Rotunda in Līhuʻe to mark the completion of its Lifeguard Exchange Program, with the event scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m., the bureau announced. The public ceremony will cap a weeklong, hands-on exchange intended to sharpen rescue skills and broaden coordination between local and international lifeguards.

The Lifeguard Exchange Program began last year as an inaugural collaboration. Coverage from Spectrum and HawaiiNewsNow described the 2025 exchange as the inaugural program, reporting that nine visiting lifeguards from Okinawa completed certification following a series of drills and exercises. Kauai Now and a county release frame the current schedule as the program’s second year, with visiting teams training on Kaua‘i the week of Monday, Feb. 16 through Friday, Feb. 20.

Organizers list a multi-agency partnership: Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau, the Okinawan Lifesaving Association and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association. Spectrum identified the nine Okinawan lifeguards by name as Marina Tanikawa, Kotaro Miyabayashi, Takumi Yanagihara, Hayato Kobiyama, Makiura Soyo, Junichiro Ichikawa, Toma Hayakawa, Yutaro Kijima and Taishi Otono. The visitors come from various coastal cities in Okinawa, including Okinawa City, Miyako, Zamami and Ishigaki.

Training sites across the island reflect a deliberate mix of high-traffic beaches and remote, hazardous locations. Kauai Now lists Kīpū Kai Cave and Port Allen Harbor for remote scenario work, Poʻipū and Nukumoi towers for south shore coastal patrol training, and Keālia, Lydgate and Anahola for rip current rescues and all-terrain vehicle operations. The schedule includes Nā Pali Coast exercises when weather permits and culminates at Kalapakī Beach with combined drills and a 1,000-meter run and swim challenge. Coverage from HawaiiNewsNow and Spectrum emphasized that the exchange centers on water safety, rescue operations, an exchange of best practices and the introduction of new lifesaving techniques.

The initiative carries both practical and civic significance for Kaua‘i. Cross-training with international partners can expand local responders’ exposure to alternative rescue tactics, improve interoperability for complex coastal scenarios and reinforce public confidence in beach safety as the island approaches busier seasons. Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami acknowledged the visiting lifeguards at a county release, saying, "Because you are here, and you have shared your experience with our people, consider Kauai your home. As soon as you put your feet on our soil, you are part of our people, our ‘ohana.”

Photos from previous exercises were credited to the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, the Okinawa Lifesaving Association and the Ocean Safety Bureau. For more information about the certificate ceremony or the exchange program, contact the Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau at 808-241-4984 or oceansafety@kauai.gov. The public ceremony on Feb. 20 will offer residents a chance to see the partnership’s results up close and to assess how shared training may influence surf safety and emergency response on Kaua‘i beaches.