Lois Kajiwara
Lois Kajiwara’s interest in Japan started with J-pop and martial arts shows. Her decision to study Japanese led to teaching English in Hamamatsu. She enjoys singing and doing creative projects.
Updated October 2023
Stories from This Author
Fujikami Florist: A Commitment to Excellence for Over a Century
Sept. 18, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
A florist who is allergic, of all things, to pollen? Halfway through the conversation with Eileen Miura, the third-generation owner of Fujikami Florist in Honolulu, I wasn’t sure if I heard correctly. But yes, Eileen confirmed that I did, explaining that she wears gloves in order to touch the flowers and takes medicine to help ease the itchiness and other allergy symptoms. Frankly speaking, as much as I love flowers, I would have quit my job if I were in …
Junji Machi: Dream It, Believe in It, Achieve It!
Aug. 18, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
When Junji Machi was ten years old, he already knew what he wanted to do in life. “My dream is to go to the US and become a surgeon,” he confidently told his parents. Fast forward to today and true to his word, Dr. Junji Machi is a general surgeon at Kuakini Medical Center on O‘ahu. Over the past forty-seven years, he has performed more than ten thousand surgeries and is one of the pioneers to utilize ultrasound tools in …
Mānoa Honey & Mead: The Art of Beekeeping
June 21, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
Once upon a time in Japan, there was an art student from Osaka named Yuki Uzuhashi who was studying sculpture at Kyoto Seika University. In 2003, as his graduation day approached, Yuki did a curious thing. He took a step in an unexpected direction and chose to focus on a very different passion—quite an extraordinary one, as you will see. The Enchantment When Yuki was nineteen, he traveled to Jamaica to visit a friend and had an eye-opening encounter with …
Sumida Farm: Cultivating A Sense of Community for Nearly a Century—Part 2
April 3, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
Read Part 1 >> LK: Can you explain the purpose of the UH ‘Ike Wai project? ES: ‘Ike Wai was a multidisciplinary program designed to study the impact of urbanization and global warming on the islands’ freshwater sources. Our farm was used as a case study to see how our freshwater springs have been impacted by urbanization. The researchers concluded that the freshwater springs that flow through our farm are bubbling up directly from the aquifer, meaning our water is …
Sumida Farm: Cultivating A Sense of Community for Nearly a Century—Part 1
April 2, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
It may be surprising to learn that in June 2014, a study published in the Preventing Chronic Disease peer-reviewed journal showed that watercress, with a perfect nutrient density score of 100, is at the top of the powerhouse fruits and vegetables list.1 Low in calories and high in antioxidants, watercress is in the same family as cabbage and broccoli. According to Healthline, one cup of watercress provides 22 percent of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin A, 24 percent …
Was it Written in the Stars?—Pali Ka‘aihue: Discovering Life’s Nonstop Adventures — Part 2
Feb. 21, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
Read Part 1 >> LK: Who did you turn to when you needed advice? PK: I’ve been very fortunate to have a number of people who have inspired and helped me quite a bit over the years. First of all, there would be no Doko Ga TV without the genius of Joanne Ninomiya. Joanne is a pioneer who connected people in Hawai‘i to Japan via the Japanese TV programs that she aired on the original KIKU. These shows fueled my …
Was it Written in the Stars?—Pali Ka‘aihue: Discovering Life’s Nonstop Adventures — Part 1
Feb. 20, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
At the age of five, Pali Ka‘aihue was introduced to music and KIKU-TV, two key elements that would later become huge influences in his life. Fast forward to today, Pali wears many hats. He is a recording artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, director, producer, and creator/host of TV programs. Multitalented and successful, he has been sharing his love of music and Japan for the past 15 years. Switch on KIKU! Like many local kids growing up in the ’70s, Pali watched Kikaidā, …
The Eternal Beauty of DECO Clay Art
Jan. 10, 2024 • Lois Kajiwara
DECO Clay Craft Academy Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary* In life, finding your way on a path is not always as direct as a straight line. Rather, it can often feel as if you are navigating through a maze. This was the case for Yukiko Miyai when it came to deciding on her career. The family business may have been the obvious choice, but it wasn’t her clear-cut path from the beginning. The Start of Something Big Back in 1981, Kazuko …
The Legacy of ABC Stores
Dec. 12, 2023 • Lois Kajiwara
The year 2024 will mark the 60th anniversary that the Kosasa family has owned and operated ABC Stores, one of the biggest companies in Hawai‘i. Everyone knows of the large number of ABC Stores in Waikīkī, but that is only part of their success story. Filled with many chapters of amazing achievements, it is a story based on hard work, responsibility and the importance of ‘ohana. Through the years, the company has evolved with the times, but two fundamental principles …
Dr. Ryuzo Yanagimachi—Heads or Tails?
Nov. 28, 2023 • Lois Kajiwara
Writer’s note: Back in 2014 when I worked at University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa, I interviewed Dr. Ryuzo Yanagimachi for The Prism newsletter. For the interview, I remember doing a lot of research! He not only impressed me with his work ethic and words of wisdom, but I also found Dr. Yana to be very kindhearted and humble. Pleased with the article, he asked if I could post it on his Wikipedia page. After hearing the sad news of …
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