For the first time in 20 years, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia will visit Japan.
Polynesians are not known for sailing to Japan, but King David Kalākaua sailed to the island country in 1881.
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are still docked in New Zealand, where the crew has been training and working on the canoes since last fall. The representatives from Japan and the Polynesian Voyaging Society are working on a sail plan for the canoes to land.
The tentative dates for the visits will be from April to September 2027.
A full text version of this story will be available later today.
