"It's a lesson to all of us, as terrible as things are, we need to think about the future, about the children and what we leave for those who come behind us," said Hawkins.

This is the first time a sitting Japanese Prime Minister has visited the memorial. While the stop meant a lot to the volunteers in Hawaii, there is hope the visit will also help ease the pain of families of the victims. Photos of the prime minister's visit will be sent to those families in back in Japan.