Lyzelle Castillo
As a resident of Saipan, have you ever wondered how the Sugar King Park got its name? Why “Sugar King” out of all the medieval and unique names they could’ve picked? To address these questions, the serene park located in Garapan is dedicated to the “Sugar King” of Saipan, Haruji Matsue. Haruji Matsue was an agriculturalist, who graduated from Louisiana State University. He came to Saipan after learning about the failed sugar industry in Saipan. Upon his arrival, Matsue immediately bought lands and brought Japanese farmers from Okinawa. He established a sugar cane industry called Nanyo Kohatsu Kaisha or NKK. With the constant shipment to Japan, NKK and the sugar industry in Saipan prospered, and Haruji Matsue was deemed the “Sugar King.” The residents of Saipan decided to dedicate a park for the Sugar King, hence its name, and built a statue of Haruji Matsue, as shown in the photo above.
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