February 2, 2018

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you.   — Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Frances, My 92-year-old mom didn’t want anything for Christmas, so I decided to give her your book on Kapoho — it was the perfect gift! My mom really....

WHO/WHAT: Organizers of the Hawaii Okinawan Restaurant Project documented over 325 restaurants in Hawai‘i that are owned by people of Okinawan ancestry. This remarkable story is being told in an exhibition sponsored by the...

Paige Maki Nagahama was crowned queen of the 65th Chrysanthemum Festival, which was held Dec. 2 at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku, Maui. The annual fundraising event is sponsored by Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans and co-sponsored by the County of Maui. Nagahama, 17, of Wailuku, is the daughter....

Editor’s note: Every so often, subscribers send in — by USPS mail or email — a letter or an essay or short story about something they experienced in their lives. They’re usually only a few hundred words in length, but they make you stop and reflect on relationships and bygone years. Earlier this year, I....

Hui O Laulima has awarded its 2018 cultural grants to 11 organizations, totaling $13,000. The nonprofit women’s organization, which is an active member of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association, awards grants annually to individuals and organizations that promote and perpetuate the unique culture of Okinawa throughout Hawai‘i. Each awardee must demonstrate the potential to promote....

Bishop Ryokan Ara Tendai Mission of Hawaii Kono yo ni wa Ironna yama ga aru Sorezore  ni Sorezore no Itadaki ga aru In this world there are many different mountains, And many different mountain tops.

CULTURE 4KIDS! By Carolyn Kubota Morinishi and Marian Kurasaki Kubota To learn how you can create this issue’s craft or featured activity, please click below to subscribe to our online subscription or complete and submit a form here to subscribe to our print edition.

The 66th Cherry Blossom Festival got its official kick-off on Jan. 14 with the introduction of the 15 queen contestants at the New Year’s ‘Ohana Festival, presented by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. The Cherry Blossom Festival is sponsored annually by the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce. This year’s festival theme is Inspire.....

RYAN'S TABLE BY Ryan Tatsumoto The 1920 to 1933 nationwide ban on the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages — the period commonly known as Prohibition — was intended to reduce family violence, political corruption and alcoholism. It also, however, reduced tax revenues and spurred gang violence, as organized crime took over the....

A lively taiko performance by Hyaku Sen Ki Kai Taiko, Pacific Buddhist Academy’s student taiko group, kicked off the festivities of the 2018 shinnenkai (New Year’s party) of the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation on Jan. 28 at Natsunoya Tea House. The first event of the year for the 64-year-old organization, led by president Cathy Iwai,....