Opinion

Talking story about values.

The staff reporters at Aloha State Daily have a clear mission on the news side of the house: to tell you what happened, not what to think or how to feel about what happened. Here in the opinion section, we want to talk story about values — what we think Hawai‘i should do, or should not do, and why. This is where we welcome informed debate and where people can argue for their perspective.

Melvin Matsuda stands on a New Holland TJ500 tractor, the biggest tractor he and Clyde Fukuyama could buy when they launched land preparation services in 2004. The mammoth tractor was 12.5 feet tall and 26.5 feet long.

Uncles and Aunties: Melvin Matsuda, the karate farmer of Kahuku

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Cheryl Chee TsutsumiApril 25, 2025

Bachman Hall at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Pipikaula Corner: UH joins the Resistance

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A. Kam NapierApril 24, 2025

Pipikaula Corner: Downtown Honolulu 100 years ago (Updated!)

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A. Kam NapierApril 19, 2025

Prince Waikīkī Hotel opened in 1990 as Hawaiʻi Prince Hotel Waikīkī and Golf Club. It underwent a $55.4 million renovation in 2016 when it changed its name. The site had been home to Kaiser Permanente Ala Moana Medical Center for decades before that.

A Haunting at a Princely Hotel

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Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 16, 2025

Columnists

Hawaiian History Meets Feng Shui

Looking into the eerie energies surrounding the Mānoa Chinese Cemetery.

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 09, 2025

Readers respond to "Bringing Pork Over the Pali"

On Instagram, we asked readers to share their own stories in response to Lopaka and Tanya Kapanuiʻs history of why itʻs considered unlucky to bring pork over the Pali. Here are some of the replies so far, from funny to eerie.

A. Kam NapierApril 06, 2025

Pipikaula Corner: Did stocks just "plunge" and "tumble" after tariff announcement?

Here's an important skill to develop when decoding the news put in front of you — look at the scale. Now let's walk through today's headlines about the stock market, including taking a look at some of Hawai‘i's publicly traded companies.

A. Kam NapierApril 03, 2025

Bringing Pork Over the Pali

Kama‘āina know itʻs bad luck. Even visitors have heard itʻs bad luck. But do you know why?

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 02, 2025

Community Voices: You Want to Raise the TAT by HOW Much?

Two bills would raise the Transient Accommodations Tax, but won't openly state the new rate, in a process leaving little time for public input.

Tom YamachikaMarch 31, 2025

The cave of an ancient shark god

On the Wai‘anae Coast near Mākua is Kāneana Cave. In distant ages, the cave was underwater and the home of the shark god, Kāmohoali‘i. His romance with a mortal woman produced a son with a terrifying nature.

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 26, 2025

Eerie Impressions in Iwilei

The land beneath the Iwilei Salvation Army building has a dark history.

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 19, 2025

Haunted Hānaiakamalama

This storied house in Nu‘uanu Valley was well known more than a century ago for its many frightening experiences, from the sound of footsteps to visions of a disembodied head.

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 12, 2025

The eerie history of Chinatown's Hocking Hale

This week, ASD launches a weekly column by Robert and Tanya Kapanui, historians and co-owners of the popular ghost tour, Mysteries of Hawai‘i. Together, they'll take readers on a journey into the historic, spiritual and supernatural dimensions of Hawai‘i places.

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 05, 2025