Central Pacific Bank

Central Pacific Bank was founded by Japanese American nisei (second generation) veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th Infantry Battalion, and Military Intelligence Service, including future senator Daniel Inouye, in response to social inequities immigrant families faced after WWII. To strengthen the project’s prospects, the group reached out to issei (first generation) business leaders, which brought them into contact with the Sumitomo Bank, a bank from Japan that had operated in Hawaii prior to WWII. They then raised $1 million in capital through grassroots efforts across the islands, and this, along with managerial assistance from Sumitomo, allowed CPB to obtain its charter on January 29,1954 and officially open for business on February 15, 1954. The opening of the bank brought with it more acceptance of the Japanese and other ethnic communities not only at other financial institutions, but also in Hawaii’s society and economy at large. In 2021, CPB launched Shaka Checking, Hawaii’s first all-digital checking account and became the first Hawaii bank to offer a live chat feature with customer service representatives. In 2025, CPB donated its former Operations Center located on School Street to the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Community Services (DCS). The total donation was valued at more than $1.6 million. == Philanthropy ==

In 2007, the bank created the CPB Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Central Pacific Bank, to create opportunities for Hawaii’s youth and support social progress. Since its inception, the foundation has donated millions of dollars to numerous organizations statewide. ==Central Pacific Financial Corporation==

Central Pacific Financial Corp. is a Hawaii-based bank holding company with approximately $7.42 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, 2025. Central Pacific Financial Corp. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “CPF.” ==References==