History

Susan Nunes Published with Permission Sketches by Ryo Shinoda Editor’s note: In observance of Veterans Day, we are pleased to share with you this excerpt from writer Susan Nunes’ short story, “Biffontaine.” It is part of her collection of short stories titled “Paradise Café: A Family Memoir in Stories.” Nunes is a Hilo native who....

Members of the Kuakini Medical Center Auxiliary and the Kuakini Health System administration gathered at Honolulu Memorial Park in Nu‘uanu on May 29 to honor the memory of the Gannenmono, who arrived in Hawai‘i in 1868, and the 141 Issei who once resided at what was originally the Japanese Home of Hawaii. They offered prayers....

Academy Award-Nominated Film is an Insightful Essay on Race Relations in America Alan Suemori Commentary Special to The Hawai‘i Herald In 1979, the great American writer James Baldwin sent a short letter to his literary agent Jay Acton, outlining an ambitious project that would require the author to undertake a long-delayed journey back into his....

The Voice of Shinzaburo Sumida Gail Honda Special to The Hawai‘i Herald The following interview write-up is the fifth of seven that will be published in The Hawai‘i Herald this year. It is part of a series titled, “In Their Own Words.” In the spring of 1980, I had the opportunity to interview seven former....

WHO/WHAT: The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center will present the Hawai‘i premiere of “TOYO: Behind the Glass Eye,” an exhibition of photographs by the prolific California photographer Toyo Miyatake. An issei from Kagawa Prefecture, he...

TÖKYÖ — A former official of the Japan National Tourism Organization has released an English-language version of his research on the wartime escape of Jews from Nazi persecution via Japan. Akira Kitade, 70, published his...

The “People of the First Year” Were Hawai‘i’s First Japanese Immigrants Kei Suzuki Re-edited from “Hawai‘i’s AJA Pioneers” Editor’s note: The year 2018 marks 150 years since the Gannenmono, or “First-Year People,” arrived in Hawai‘i in June 1868. This first group of immigrants planted the seeds of today’s Japanese community in Hawai‘i. This milestone anniversary....

The 1970s Novels Brought Gannenmono History to Life Richard Borreca Special to The Hawai‘i Herald It was nearly 60 years ago that the late Hawai‘i writer, historian and scientist, O.A. “Ozzie” Bushnell was challenged by his wife, Elizabeth. As Bushnell’s son Andrew recalled in an interview, a bad play and the ensuing dare launched Bushnell’s literary....

As a Young Crown Prince, Akihito Helped America to See the Human Face of Japan Kevin Y. Kawamoto Special to the Hawai‘i Herald Enthusiastic waves of aloha greeted Emperor Akihito during each of his official visits to Hawai‘i, beginning in April 1953 when he was just barely an adult and about to embark on a....

Maui Became Home for Several Gannenmono Melissa Tanji Special to the Hawai‘i Herald Editor’s note: The following story is a re-edited version of Maui News reporter Melissa Tanji’s story on Maui’s Gannenmono commemoration, which was published in the newspaper’s April 29, 2018, edition. Special mahalo to Melissa and Maui News managing editor Lee Imada for....