When we heard that the Hawaiʻi Herald would be publishing its final issue, our first thought wasn’t about losing a newspaper.
It was about losing a voice.
For more than four decades, the Hawaiʻi Herald documented the stories, achievements, traditions, and everyday lives of Hawaiʻi’s Japanese American community. It celebrated our victories, preserved our history, and connected generations through thoughtful journalism rooted in culture and community.
We couldn’t let that story end there.
That’s why San Times was created.
Not to replace the Hawaiʻi Herald, but to carry its spirit forward into a new generation.
As the way people consume news continues to evolve, so must the way we preserve and share our stories. San Times is a digital publication dedicated to covering the people, events, organizations, history, and issues that matter to Hawaiʻi’s Japanese American community. Alongside timely news, we’re embracing video, photography, and multimedia storytelling to ensure these stories remain accessible for generations to come.
Community newspapers have always been about more than headlines.
They create connections. They preserve history. They introduce us to neighbors we may never have met and remind us that every generation has a responsibility to carry the story forward.
That responsibility didn’t disappear when the Hawaiʻi Herald closed its doors.
If anything, it became even more important.
San Times exists to continue documenting our community as it grows and changes—celebrating the people making a difference today while preserving the stories future generations deserve to know.
When the future of Japanese American community journalism in Hawaiʻi became uncertain, the Zentoku Foundation recognized that preserving these stories couldn’t wait.
Dedicated to celebrating Japanese American history, culture, and community, the Foundation helped bring together the people, passion, and support needed to launch San Times. By providing the resources to establish this new digital publication, the Zentoku Foundation ensured that the legacy of trusted community journalism would continue rather than come to an end.
While the Foundation serves as the organization behind San Times, this publication belongs to the community. It exists to inform, connect, celebrate, and preserve the stories that define Hawaiʻi’s Japanese American experience—today and for generations to come.
Every issue. Every article. Every photograph. Every interview.
They’re all part of a much larger story.
One that began generations ago.
One that deserves to be told.
And one we’re honored to continue.
