Notes by Hideyasu Kohashikawa and Walter Shiroma:
(1) Aza-Gaza and Aza-Yonagusuku are neighboring aza, part of Nishihara-son. Because there were so many immigrants from Aza-Gaza, the people of the two aza united to form their own club, one separate from the Nishihara Sonjinkai. In fact, in the 1920s the Gaza Yonagusuku Doshikai, with a membership of between 20 and 30 families, was one of the larger Okinawan locality clubs.
(2) During World War II because members were afraid that club records could be used to implicate a person of being un-American, the records were destroyed.
(3) The Gaza elders’ interest in Okinawan affairs was greatly heightened when Taira Koichi, who is from the Aza-Gaza, became governor of Okinawa in 1976. Many Gaza elders knew the governor personally and therefore felt close to him. When the governor visited Hawaii in 1977, Walter Shiroma, president of Gaza Yonagusuku Doshikai, served as co-chairman of the reception sponsored by the United Okinawan Association.