The Japanese who came to Hawaii assimilated completely into Hawaiian society. Formal immigration began with an agreement between the Japanese and Hawaiian governments in 1885. The Contract Labour Agreement permitted large numbers of Japanese to seek their fortunes on the developing sugar plantations of Hawaii. They provided the social and religious basis for the development of Shin Buddhism in Hawaii.
The Japanese who came to Hawaii assimilated completely into Hawaiian society. Formal immigration began with an agreement between the Japanese and Hawaiian governments in 1885. The Contract Labour Agreement permitted large numbers of Japanese to seek their fortunes on the developing sugar plantations of Hawaii. They provided the social and religious basis for the development of Shin Buddhism in Hawaii.