The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii (JCCH) is one of those hidden gems we often overlook; not because it’s a small hole-in-the-wall but because it’s a huge concrete building that can easily be mistaken for a parking structure. Those in the local Japanese community know better. Take this older Japanese woman I recently met there,…

The time in Hawaii is anywhere from three to six hours behind the mainland. But the time within Hawaii households? Well, that’s a whole different time zone, better known as Hawaiian Time. It’s the time of the islands that keeps everything at a mellower pace. It’s one of the funniest stereotypes people from Hawaii get…

The sweeping shots of Hawaii’s scenic beaches and mountains are a staple of the television programs filmed in HAwaii. But often it is a small detail that makes the setting seem authentic — like what to drink with a plate lunch.Bottom’s up! Coconut water’s popular all over Hawaii. Coconut water is not exclusive to Hawaii,…

When you arrive in Hawaii, one of the first things you’ll notice is that many people are barefoot. This is because it is a common custom to remove your shoes before entering homes and businesses in Hawaii. There are a few reasons for this custom. Cleanliness: Shoes can track dirt and debris into homes, so removing them…

ko-KEE-ko-KEEEEEEE ko-KEEE-ko-KE…Coqui frogs are usually the size of a quarter, but females can get twice as big. Appropriately named after its high-pitched mating call, the coqui frogs have replaced crickets as Hawaii’s sunset serenaders. The little guys may be hard to find, some only the size of quarters, but they’re definitely not hard to hear.…

“Lau means leaf in Hawaiian,” explains Cindy Whitehawk, a lauhala teacher from Kona. “The hala tree has a pineapple-like fruit, and it breaks into keys’. These keys, when dried, are like a brush, and were used to paint kapa cloth in ancient Hawaii.” Cindy Whitehawk will make anything into lauhala, including her shoes! I am…