Much Mahalos
In this series, acclaimed author "Da Pidgin Guerrilla" Lee A. Tonouchi uses the language of Hawai‘i Creole, a.k.a. Pidgin, to talk story with accomplished and up-and coming Japanese/Okinawan Americans from Hawai‘i. Interviewees discuss their passions, their triumphs, as well as their struggles as they reflect and express their gratitude to those who have helped them on their journeys to success.
Stories from this series
Dayton Asato’s Way of Saying Mahalo: Supporting da Community with KC Waffle Dogs
April 23, 2025 • Lee A. Tonouchi
Dayton Asato, 61 grew up in one small apartment in one small lane between Fern and Date Street in Mō‘ili‘ili. His family rented da apartment next door too for use as their warehouse for their family’s KC Drive Inn restaurant. As one kid, he loved working for da family business cuz das how he earned all his spending money so he could catch movies with his friends. Sadly their iconic restaurant wen close in 2005 aftah one run of ova …
Her Name Tag Reads “Friend of the Vets”: Stacey Hayashi Shares Stories of da Nisei Veterans
March 5, 2025 • Lee A. Tonouchi
In high school Stacey Hayashi, 49, remembahs reading just one tiny paragraph in her textbook about Japanese American Internment during WWII. Wuzn’t till she went college at UH [The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa] that she wen go learn much more about da Japanese American experience when she wen go take Dennis Ogawa’s American Studies 310: Japanese Americans and Franklin Odo’s Ethnic Studies 330: Japanese in Hawai‘i. Although she nevah realize ’em at da time, Stacey credits these classes for …
Roy Sakuma and Divine Intervention: Da Kine Story of Hawai‘i’s Legendary ‘Ukulele Mentor
Feb. 3, 2025 • Lee A. Tonouchi
In Hawai‘i his name stay synonymous with da ‘ukulele. At 78 and still going strong, Roy Sakuma oversees da four locations of his Roy Sakuma ‘Ukulele Studios, which he’s been operating with his wife Kathy for ova 50 years. Togeddah dey also run their ‘ukulele record label, Roy Sakuma Productions. Plus it too, dey also lovingly organize da Annual ‘Ukulele Festival, “the largest of its kind in the world, boasting crowds of thousands.” If you eva get da chance for …
He get da Eye of da Lion! Jon Itomura stay Perpetuating Okinawan Lion Dance in Hawai‘i
Jan. 7, 2025 • Lee A. Tonouchi
Jon Itomura, 61 stay da Executive Director of da Hawai‘i United Okinawa Association (HUOA) and Co-Founder of Hawai‘i Okinawa Creative Arts (HOCA), one organization dedicated to promoting creative or contemporary presentations of shishimai or Okinawan Lion Dance. He’s one busy Okinawan big-wig now, but back when he wuz one little kid growing up in Liliha on O‘ahu, he used to love just “playing hide-and-go-seek at night in the graveyard at O‘ahu Cemetary.” An’den as one teenager, dis Saint Louis High …
“A Pebble on the Ground”: How It Helped Kirk Kurokawa Become Hawai‘i’s Premiere Portrait Artist
Dec. 9, 2024 • Lee A. Tonouchi
In fall 2023 da portrait of da late Senator Daniel Inouye wuz unveiled in Washington D.C. And who wuz da artist chosen for dis prestigious gig? Wuz none oddah than Baldwin High, class of 1992 grad, Maui boy Kirk Kurokawa, 50. He stay SOM [really, really] famous now, but aftah finishing art school, he had couple-few bouts of self doubt. Fortunately each time da universe wen steer him back to his artistic passion for portraiture. Today he no can imagine …
It All Started with one Question: How Sarah Tamashiro Kuaiwa Came one Museum Curator
Oct. 28, 2024 • Lee A. Tonouchi
At age 31, Sarah Tamashiro Kuaiwa stay da youngest curator at da Bishop Museum, da largest museum in Hawai‘i. Dis 2011 St. Andrew’s Priory grad wen get her BA in art history from Occidental College in Los Angeles, den she we go get her master’s degree at da University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa before finally getting her PhD in art history from da University of East Anglia Sainsbury Research Unit in Norwich, England. In 2022 she got her current position …
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