From Issei Hands to Yonsei Hearts: The Living Legacy of Sumida Farm
In an island landscape transformed by urban growth, one family’s farm has remained a steadfast reminder of Hawaiʻi’s agricultural roots. For nearly a hundred years, the Sumidas have cultivated more than watercress—they’ve nurtured a legacy. In 1928, Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate granted Makiyo and Moriichi Sumida a lease for five acres of land on Kalauao […]
Making Waves: Royce Fisherman’s Journey from Mililani to Manhattan
Inspired by the beaches of Hawai‘i and shaped by the streets of New York City, musician Royce Katsura, better known as Royce Fisherman, is making waves in the creative scene. With head-bobbing beats and music videos that tell a story, his sound defies easy labels—somewhere between indie-pop and rap. “I don’t really know how to […]
Deidre Tegarden: Compassionate Leadership at Nisei Veterans Memorial Center
Deidre and her mother Melinda Clarke at Natsu Matsuri. (Photos courtesy of Deidre Tegarden) The remarkable legacy of Nisei soldiers is embodied by the busy calendar of events at the Nisei Veteran Memorial Center (NVMC), located on Go For Broke Way in Kahului, Maui. NVMC is a vital community gathering space serving the many communities […]
Matty Hiroto Inaba: Hawai‘i’s Speedcubing Star Ignites a Statewide Movement
When Matty Hiroto Inaba, a high school senior at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on the Big Island, clinched the title of 2022 North American Speedcubing Champion, he didn’t just bring home a trophy — he sparked a statewide movement. Inaba, a humble yet fiercely determined speedcuber from Waimea, has become a household name in Hawai‘i’s growing […]
A Life in Full Color: Ann Asakura’s Passion for Tradition and Innovation
Ann Asakura arrives like a fresh wind filling every corner of the room with her warm laughter, endless energy, and kind spirit. Although she is celebrating her eighth decade on the planet, Asakura has no plans to slow down and she is filled with original ideas, brash opinions, and ambitious plans that could fill several […]
Charley’s Taxi: A History of a Longtime Hawai‘i Institution
During school breaks in the ‘80s and ‘90s, my grandparents would walk me and my sister to the shopping plaza near their house to pick up groceries for the week. On the way back, weighed down with bags (and likely exhaustion), my grandfather would slide a quarter in a pay phone to call Charley’s Taxi […]
Who We Are
After The Hawai‘i Herald closed in December 2023 after 43 years of sharing Japanese American stories in Hawaii, former editors Jodie Chiemi Ching and Kristen Nemoto Jay and former staff writer Summer Nakaishi felt there were still more stories to be told. Through a friend, Ching was able with Zentoku Foundation president Mark Nakakihara to […]
