Nancy Oda: From Tule Lake to Tuna Canyon
Sometime during the 1970s, Nancy Kyoko Oda and her father Tatsuo Inouye visited the sites of former World War II concentration camps, attending pilgrimages in Poston, Arizona, and Manzanar, California. The experience set in motion a journey that has spanned four decades and recently brought her father’s story to light. Tatsuo, who passed away in […]
The Mentoring From a Queen, Leslie Kawai
I’ve had the fortune of working with Leslie Kawai, the brains behind Nisei Week’s coronation production and the mentor for the many courts of queens and princesses. For those who’ve had the opportunity to wear Nisei Week’s crown and sash, they know it takes many hours of dance practices, trainings, preparation and lots of sacrifice […]
“Nancy” Iwasaki Saiki: Building Community at Camp 5 Sugar Plantation
Many Americans know about the Japanese American experience during World War II: the valor of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, racial discrimination and the forced removal from their West Coast homes to remote incarceration camps. But before World War II, many immigrants from Japan and their families lived in a different kind of camp – […]
Roy Sakuma: Laughter, Love and Hope
His name is synonymous with the ukulele, an instrument that transformed his life at age 16 leading him to a career as Hawaii’s foremost ukulele teacher, an award-winning record producer, and founder of the first ukulele festival which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020. Whether you’re talking story with the 74-year-old Sansei from the Makiki […]
Norman Sagara: Baseballer with a Samurai Spirit
The Sagara family’s immigration story began in Japan in the late 19th century as Japan’s isolationism and feudalism were coming to an end, and the Meiji era opened the door to more modern, industrialized nation state. With the fall of feudal Japan, the samurai class became obsolete. Lack of work meant they would inevitably face poverty. Tomotaro Sagara made the difficult decision in 1917 to leave his hometown of Izumi and travel to the United States. Putting his eldest […]
“LOST SON” Of Manago Hotel Founders Thriving In Hawai’i
In a previous story about Manago Hotel founders Kinzo and Osame Manago, it was reported that the couple left one son behind in Japan when they returned to Hawai’i after a one-month visit. That son, Isamu Manago, stayed in Japan until he was 19 years old then rejoined his family in Kona. Today, Isamu and […]
Loryce Hashimoto: The Soul of an Artist
Loryce Hashimoto is bubbly and enthusiastic, with an insatiable curiosity to try new things It seems she is often there, at a concert, a recital, Day of Remembrance, a play, utilizing her many artistic talents, whether dancing or playing the shamisen, or doing comedy — there’s Hashimoto giving it her all and putting on a […]
Asato Family: The Legendary Waffle Dog and the Japanese American Family Behind It
What is a waffle dog? In Hawaii, this hand-food looks something like a long U.F.O – basically a hot dog encased in a waffle with delectable crispy corners. While it looks futuristic, it came to Hawaii in the late 1920s and is now considered a food legend. But for the Asato family, the waffle dog […]
Ray Fugino: Wintersburg Golf Tournament founder says he’s “just a regular guy.”
The gleaming new gym at Wintersburg Presbyterian Church is a passion project of hundreds of supporters who raised millions of dollars to provide youth a long-desired home court. Among them, one man stands out: Ray Fujino. Two decades ago, Ray, 83, spearheaded the church’s annual golf tournament to raise money for the gym and sports […]
Hungry for Laughs: Female Trailblazers of Cold Tofu
In the 1980s, with so few opportunities in a competitive market of actors, women auditioned constantly for the chance to be on the screen for even a second to prove their acting chops. For women of color, another goal was to represent their multicultural communities. The comedic space was particularly closed: men were the marquee […]