Spotlight

Hawai‘i’s Little League Baseball World champions were guests of honor at a special dinner at Agu Ramen restaurant at Ala Moana Center on Sept. 24. Agu Ramen owner and president Hisashi Uehara hosted the championship team to congratulate the young champs. The ‘ukulele duo, Heart and Soul, also performed for the champs.

Chanterelle Couture, ‘Iolani and Ari South headlined Hui Makaala’s 49th annual Scholarship Fund Luncheon and Fashion Show on July 22 in the Coral Ballroom of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The three are all top-tier Hawai‘i designers who have been very successful in their careers. They shared a variety of their designs with the audience, showing....

The Rotary Club of Hiroshima South in Japan presented a $20,000 check to its sister club in Hawai‘i, the Rotary Club of Hilo, to support the Puna relief efforts resulting from the ongoing Kïlauea volcano eruption. The donation was made at the Rotary Club of Hiroshima South’s meeting on June 1. The funds will be....

The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii recognized five individuals for demonstrating excellence and high standards of achievement in their respective fields at its “Living Treasures of Hawai‘i” program on Feb. 10 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The Living Treasures luncheon also served as the closing activity of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii’s 106th annual....

DIALOGUE BY Karleen Chinen Hawai‘i is mourning the passing of a man who lived aloha all his life, the type of person our society produces too few of these days. I’m writing, of course, about retired U.S. Sen. Daniel Kahikina Akaka, who passed away on April 6 at the age of 93. We may not....

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.....

SPOTLIGHT BY Karleen C. Chinen Pamela Rotner Sakamoto came to understand the invaluable, but secret, work that soldiers in the Military Intelligence Service performed in World War II while writing her own book, “Midnight in Broad Daylight: A Japanese American Family Caught Between Two Worlds,” about the family of MIS veteran Harry Fukuhara. So when....

Hui Makaala held its 48th annual Scholarship Fund Luncheon and Fashion Show on July 30 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom. The show featured fashions by three Hawai‘i designers — Allison Izu, Janice Tsujimura and Jeanie Chun. The audience was also treated to a program of cultural entertainment that included Okinawan dances by Hooge....

SPOTLIGHT BY Karleen C. Chinen Beloved Hawai‘i astronaut Ellison Onizuka’s 71st birthday was remembered and celebrated on June 24 with the opening of “The Ellison Onizuka Remembrance” at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. The collection is now part of the center’s “Okage Sama De: I am what I am because of you” permanent exhibit.....

Hooge Ryu Hana Nuuzi no Kai Nakasone Dance Academy will celebrate its 61st anniversary with a grand dance program this fall. The Okinawan dance school was started by Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone shortly after she immigrated to Hawai‘i as the young bride of Clarence Tomokazu Nakasone. Over the decades Nakasone-Sensei has passed on the art to....