Lead Stories

Visit to Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i Gallery Prompts Soul-Searching by Herald Intern Kacie Yamamoto Special to The Hawai‘i Herald While I was growing up in Honolulu, lessons about the lives of the early immigrant plantation laborers were integrated into the curricula of all of my history classes. I remember taking field trips to Hawaii’s....

A New Generation of Kawakamis is Leading the Garden Island Richard Borreca Special to The Hawai‘i Herald The Kawakamis are Kaua‘i’s first family of politics. The political and retail power of the Garden Island courses through the Kawakami name. Three members of the clan — Richard, Bertha and Derek — have served in the state House....

The Fine Art of Polishing a Japanese Sword Dan Nakasone Special to The Hawai‘i Herald I’m a big fan of PBS Hawai‘i and many of its programs. Among my favorites are: “Finding Your Roots,” “Independent Lens,” “Nature,” “Nova” and “Antiques Roadshow.” On “Antiques Roadshow,” which airs Monday nights, I’ve seen people bring in their Civil....

The Photographer Captured Street Life in Honolulu’s Chinatown As It Began to Disappear Wayne Muromoto Commentary, Special to The Hawai‘i Herald Memory is a funny thing. It can be selective . . . as my wife often reminds me when I forgot to do a household chore. It can become dramatized into a fable —....

Anime, Drama, Suspense, Comedy, Documentaries and Much More Karleen Chinen If you wait every year with bated breath to see the lineup of Japanese films in the Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani, you will not be disappointed with the selections in HIFF 39. The festival opens in Honolulu on Thursday, Nov. 7, and....

The Friendship Continues to Bloom Under Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino Kevin Y. Kawamoto Special to The Hawai‘i Herald Every year in mid-May, the Japanese city of Fukuyama in Hiroshima Prefecture explodes in vibrant colors with rose blooms for as far as the eye can see — and just in time for the celebrated Fukuyama....

The Rap Veteran Sets His Sights on the Sake Industry Joe Udell Special to The Hawai‘i Herald Tassho Pearce has been a household name in Hawai‘i hip-hop circles for more than a decade and a half. But over the last six years, Pearce has quietly been carving out a new reputation in the world of....

Waimea Chef Edwin Goto Has Always Helped Others; Now He Needs Our Help Dan Nakasone Special to The Hawai‘i Herald A few months ago, I shared a story about three Hawai‘i Island “community spirits” in The Hawai‘i Herald’s Big Island issue (July 5, 2019). One of the people profiled in the story, Chef Edwin Goto,....

Japan High School Champs Kosei Gakuen Train in Hawai‘i Jill Kuramoto Special to The Hawai‘i Herald “East!” and “Green!” are some of the plays being called from the sidelines at a recent scrimmage at McKinley High School. But while the game of football is being played American-style on the field, the visiting team in the....

Why Family Reunions Matter Dan Nakasone Special to The Hawai‘i Herald When I meet people from Wahiawä for the first time, they usually ask me whether I’m related to so-and-so Nakasone. My answer is usually yes, because virtually all of the Nakasones in Wahiawä are related. Believe me, there’s a lot of us! Longtime Wahiawä....