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"Golden Retrievers are so athletic, I bet he loves to play fetch..."

Smile 26 1 13

<title>Daily Smiles: Tuesday, January 13, 2026</title>

Daily Smiles: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

 &quot;Golden Retrievers are so athletic, I bet he loves to play fetch...&quot; 

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Sean Olvera-Harle was there for Kansei Matsuzawa's historic season as the University of Hawai‘i's starting kicker in 2025. He even had one of the best seats in the house as Matsuzawa's backup. 

In 2026, Olvera-Harle has earned the right to take 

's spot, with the Tokyo Toe now battling for a spot with the Las Vegas Raiders. After a solid spring and impressive fall camp, Olvera-Harle emerged as special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield's choice as the team's new starting kicker. 

"I think my excitement's through the roof," Olvera-Harle told Aloha State Daily following Wednesday's practice, the last before the team departs for its 2026 season opener at Stanford. "I've been obviously training since last year with Kansei and 

 and all them, but I think it's now it's my time, and I'm just honestly ready to start the game."

Whoever won the job was bound to be burdened with filing the shoes of 

, who went 25-for-26 on field goals in the regular season en route to becoming the program's first-ever consensus All-American. The way Olvera-Harle sees it, observing Matsuzawa's historic season can only help.

"I'm hoping to do the exact same thing he did, if not better. I think just watching him perform last year really helped me with mindset and how I'm gonna play," Olvera-Harle said. 

Though Olvera-Harle is from Southern California while Matsuzawa moved to the United States from Japan, the two do have similar sporting backgrounds. Like Matsuzawa, Olvera-Harle was a lifelong soccer player before giving football a try. Pestered by his friends at 

because the team needed a kicker, he played high school football for two years. He then attended the University of Oregon as a regular student his freshman year of college. 

After a year off from school entirely, Olvera-Harle attended Saddleback College, the California junior college that produced Hawai‘i legend Colt Brennan. He made 11 of his 14 field goal attempts with a long of 47 yards, putting enough tape together to earn a roster spot in Mānoa as a walk-on. 

Olvera-Harle played in six games for the 'Bows in 2025 as a kickoff specialist, with 11 of his 32 kickoffs going for touchbacks. 

Another important similarity between Olvera-Harle and Matsuzawa? The undying faith Sheffield showed in both before either had started a game for the Rainbow Warriors. 

"His leg is big," Sheffield told Aloha State Daily of Olvera-Harle. "In our scrimmage, he hit a 61-yard field goal. When you have a guy that can do that, and he's been pretty accurate, he's hovering around the 80% to 85% mark for all of camp, I just like where he's at, and I think that he's very talented. And if we could just continue to clean up the accuracy and make sure that we block well, he's going to have a special year."

Olvera-Harle, the walk-on, was named the starter over true freshman Hudson Borsari, who joined the 'Bows on a scholarship out of national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. How long is the leash on Olvera-Harle? 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"\"Very,\" Sheffield said. "}]

"I'm not even focused on those kind of things," Sheffield continued. "I'm focused on him just making the kicks and doing a great job. In the specialist group, I tell them there's no failures. It's just growth. And so, if he misses three kicks, that's not going to be the end of the world. I know everybody wants Kansei 2.0. But Kansei 1.0 was special enough, (2.0) was once in a generation. That's why he's the first ever unanimous All-American in Hawai‘i football history. 

"But like I keep telling everybody, I want it to be about Sean and not Kansei. This is Sean's time to write his story. Kansei wrote his story and is with the Raiders now. We're going to be right here with Sean and let him write his own story."

While Matsuzawa had a year of being Hawai‘i's starting placekicker a year before his 2025 season, Olvera-Harle enters 2026 having never attempted a kick in a Division I game. 

"My main goal, field goal-wise," Olvera-Harle says, "is to just make as many as I can, if not all of them."

Sean Olvera-Harle 082626

<title>New Hawai‘i kicker Sean Olvera-Harle hopes to replicate program's recent success at…</title>

Olvera-Harle was named the team's starting kicker during an impressive fall camp for the Rainbow Warriors.

New Hawai‘i kicker Sean Olvera-Harle hopes to replicate program's recent success at position

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Diamond Head Drip, a mobile coffee truck, officially opened last September with a mission to serve the Kāhala and Diamond Head community. The idea for the business came about last May, according to owners Scott Blanco and Hellena Wilson.

“This inspiration was pretty simple — we saw a real absence in the Kāhala area for quality, specialty coffee, and we knew the location along Diamond Head Road was special,” Blanco says. “There’s something about handing someone a beautifully crafted drink while they’re taking in that sunrise that just felt right. Coffee and community are what drive us.”

When the business first opened, Diamond Head Drip parked near the Amelia Earhart’s Marker on Diamond Head Road. Choosing that location was intentional, according to Blanco.

“There’s real history on this stretch of road,” Blanco says. “Truck vendors and peddlers have worked the Kāhala side of Diamond Head in past generations. Operating out of a food truck felt like we were honoring that tradition, and that resonated with us deeply.”

“We’re right within sight of Diamond Head, so that was a given,” adds Wilson, referring to the meaning behind the business name. “We also loved that ‘drip’ is a coffee reference, and it nods to our vision of growing into clothing and apparel down the road.”

The business features a variety of coffees with both, housemade syrups and classic options from Pono Potions. Coffees are made with beans from Kailua-based Tradition Coffee Roasters, according to Blanco.

The business’s banana bread latte ($7) is the most popular drink, followed by the maple brown sufar latte ($7) and cold brew with maple brown sugar cold foam ($7).

“We make the maple brown sugar, banana bread, miso caramel and local honey simple syrups in-house,” Blanco says. “Pono Potions supplies our mac nut, vanilla and lavender syrups.”

Besides coffees and teas, Diamond Head Drip also features quick bites designed for those on-the-go. The business’s croffles ($7) — a croissant-waffle hybrid — and Podagee Press ($5) have become customer favorites.

“For the Podagee Press, we do Spam-sized Portuguese sausage and cheese between two Kings Hawaiian rolls,” says Wilson, who explains the rolls are then waffle-pressed to create a melt-like sandwich.

Diamond Head Drip recently found a new location and now pops up at Lotus Honolulu’s parking lot from Wednesdays to Sundays.

“Lotus Waikīkī has helped us lock down a spot that is still in sight of our beautiful Diamond Head scenery,” the business wrote in a recent Instagram post.

The Diamond Head setting contributes to the business’s unique experience, according to Blanco, who wants to thank the community and customers.  

“You’re sipping a craft latte with a view of Diamond Head and the dual surf breaks,” Blanco says. “Beyond the location, we’re committed to true specialty coffee. We started this (business) because we love coffee and we love this place; that hasn’t changed one bit.

“Hellena is born and raised here; I’m a San Diego transplant,” he adds. “This journey has made this my home and helped me feel like I belong here.”

Open 7 a.m. to noon Wednesdays to Sundays

Diamond Head Drip owners 081926

<title>Diamond Head Drip now has a new location</title>

The business features specialty coffee and was designed to serve the Kāhala/Diamond Head Community. The business recently found a permanent spot and pops up in the Lotus Honolulu parking lot.

Diamond Head Drip now has a new location

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Government & Politics

The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that would impose a civil penalty on pet owners if their dogs stray, in an effort to hold pet owners responsible and keep dogs safe.

The current stray dog ordinance makes it unlawful for dog owners to allow their dogs to stray or become a stray. 

 proposes making it unlawful for an owner to allow a dog to stray or become a stray, or to fail to reasonably prevent a dog from becoming a stray.

The term “stray” applies to dogs when they are on public property or private property without permission, except when under the control of a leash, according to city code.

Department of Customer Services Director Kimberly Hashiro spelled it out this way during the committee meeting on Wednesday: “it’s the owner’s responsibility to restrain animals and prevent them from hurting others.”

Councilmember Val Okimoto, who introduced Bill 16 in January, said during a Committee on International and Legal Affairs meeting on Wednesday afternoon that the bill is part of a nearly two years long effort with the Department of Customer Services and Hawaiian Human Society to update city code.

“Bill 16 (26) and Ordinance 26-9 provides HPD and the humane society with new tools which are necessary to enforce existing law, to regulate stray dogs and animal nuisances within the city,” Okimoto said. “I am optimistic that this new strategy will allow the city and the human society to hold irresponsible pet owners responsible effectively while ensuring the safety of our community members are protected.”

Stephanie Kendrick, vice president of community engagement at the Hawaiian Humane Society, told Aloha State Daily that the bill encourages responsible pet ownership.

“Obviously, you don’t punish pets for being stray. It’s their owners who are held accountable for not keeping them safe,” she said.

According to Hawaiian Humane Society, which contracts with the City and County of Honolulu for animal control and welfare services for $7,172,367, 4,459 stray dogs came into one of their four shelters between July 2025 and June 2026. Kendrick said that stray dogs have a higher risk of injury or death.

Spay neuter is one piece of the puzzle to prevent strays. Kendrick said that unplanned breeding leads to more strays, and spaying or neutering pets reduces the animal’s urge to get out and leads to safer and healthier pets. The Hawaiian Human Society cannot legally release dogs that are impounded three times in a 12-month period without spaying or neutering them.

Kendrick said that courts interpreted the current statute to mean that unless an owner is physically present and knowingly allows a dog to stray, then it’s not an offense.

“The wording that we’ve proposed in Bill 16 allows people to be held responsible if their animal is stray because of their negligence.”

Current law imposes criminal penalties and fines of $50, $100 and $500, depending on if the owner let the animal stray before, but Kendrick said that criminal courts are overburdened.

, 6,099 animal control cases were active during the 2025 fiscal year. Of those, 259 cases were dismissed and 192 cases resulted in conviction.

Bill 16 creates a civil penalty structure with fines of $250, $500 or $1,000 depending on if a dog has strayed before.

“We’re hoping that that’s going to be painful enough that the owners are going to get the message and say, 'I can’t keep doing this because I’m going to get a serious fine if I do', but it will also remove the burden from the criminal court system, which just does not have the bandwidth to handle these cases,” Kendrick said.

The stray ordinance applies only to dogs. Other rules are on the books for rabbits and cats.

The primary concern is the safety of the animals, 

however, dogs can pose a public safety threat.

So far, the bill has received support from the public.

Joanne Parker, of ʻAiea, wrote that one of her dogs was attacked by two stray dogs on her street.

“Even though this incident was reported to the police, our laws are so laxed that nothing was done to the owners or the dogs, that were part pitbulls,” she wrote. “This was probably the worst experience, and no one should go through this.”

Residents in Waiʻanae reported to their neighborhood board in July and August that stray or feral dogs were threatening agricultural livestock on the west side of Oʻahu.

Animal Protection Officer

<title>Dog owners could be fined if their dog strays</title>

Bill 16 would create a civil penalty structure with fines of $250, $500 or $1,000 depending on if a dog has strayed before.

Dog owners could be fined if their dog strays

Ray Tsuchiyama

Real Estate

Columnists

After Hurricane Lala, residents of a Waikīkī high-rise waited 

for power and water to be restored while nearby buildings were already back online, due to its own flooded circuitry.

One storm. One outage. But it points to a much larger question: What happens when Hawaiʻi's aging condominium buildings can no longer keep up with the demands placed on them?

Walk through any 1960s or ’70s-era condominium tower in Waikīkī or Makiki, and you are looking at a building entering a difficult stage of its economic life.

Many of Hawaiʻi's condominium buildings are now 40, 50 or even 60 years old. The issue is not necessarily their structural lives; it is that major systems installed decades ago — plumbing, electrical, elevators and roofs — are increasingly expensive to maintain or replace.

The bills are not small. Some owners are facing special assessments of $50,000, $100,000 or more per unit for repairs and replacement of aging building systems.

And for many owners, their condominium may be the largest asset they own, yet they face a large bill for a unit they may eventually have difficulty selling.

Here is what is missing: Hawaiʻi has a law for terminating a condominium.

 It does not have a practical legal mechanism for turning majority agreement into redevelopment.

Hawaiʻi law provides a process for condominium termination for liquidation through a court-ordered partition sale, which does not address the collective-action problem when a large majority of owners want to sell or rebuild but a minority does not.

Owners are not simply choosing repair over redevelopment.

They often have no practical redevelopment

And zoning can make the problem worse. Tear down an older, grandfathered tower, and current rules may permit less density than the building already contains. A developer may be willing to take on the project, but if the replacement building cannot generate enough value to pay for land, construction, financing and owner buyouts, there is no deal.

The state has never built a door for a redevelopment pathway with development incentives.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Other places have."}]

New South Wales, Australia, created a statutory

 that addresses the collective-action problem. A supermajority can initiate a renewal plan, with a court reviewing the process and protections for dissenting owners, including compensation based on independently determined value.

Florida provides another useful example, although its experience also demonstrates how minority-owner protections can complicate redevelopment and generate litigation.

Japan has gone further in combining condominium-reconstruction mechanisms with urban-planning tools that can allow additional development potential to help finance replacement buildings.

The lesson is not that Hawaiʻi should copy any one system. It is that the problem has already been addressed elsewhere in pieces — and Hawaiʻi needs two of them.

Chapter 514B should be amended to create a condominium-renewal process under which a substantial supermajority of owners could approve a redevelopment plan, subject to independent valuation, notice, financial disclosure, and judicial review.

The principle should be straightforward: dissenting owners deserve fair value and due process, but they should not possess an indefinite veto over a transaction approved by an overwhelming majority and determined to satisfy statutory protections.

A specialized condominium-renewal docket within Hawaiʻi's existing Circuit Court system could develop expertise in these cases without creating an entirely new court.

Second, a way to make the redevelopment economically possible.

Even an approved redevelopment plan is worthless if the replacement building does not pencil.

This is where land economics becomes critical.

Hawaiʻi should establish a statewide statutory framework allowing qualifying older condominiums to seek a defined redevelopment incentive — potentially additional floor area or other development flexibility — when specific criteria are met.

The criteria could include building age, documented physical or financial obsolescence, a professional structural or capital-needs assessment, an approved renewal plan and demonstrated economic feasibility.

This should not become a blank check for developers or a wholesale rewrite of county zoning. The Legislature would establish the rules and eligibility standards; the appropriate authority would administer them against objective criteria; and the courts would address owner rights and the fairness of the renewal process.

The objective would not be to guarantee redevelopment. Some buildings will still be too small, too expensive, or too constrained to make the numbers work. That is a market outcome. But Hawaiʻi should 

This would not apply neatly to every building. Leasehold condominiums present a different problem because the underlying ground lease and landowner's rights must also be addressed. That is a separate legal and economic issue.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Every component already exists somewhere."}]

New South Wales built a mechanism for collective action. Florida offers experience with owner buyouts, dissenters and the litigation that can follow. Japan demonstrates how redevelopment law and additional development potential can sometimes work together to finance replacement buildings. (More on this in future columns.)

Hawaiʻi already knows how to establish special land-use frameworks (e.g. HCDA) when a public policy objective demands them.

What Hawaiʻi lacks is a system that connects these pieces.

We do not need the government to rebuild every aging condominium. We do not need to guarantee developers a profit. And we should not take away the legitimate property rights of minority owners.

But we should give a willing majority of owners a legitimate path to discover whether redevelopment makes more sense than another special assessment.

Hawaiʻi's aging condominium problem is not simply about old buildings. It is about what happens when private property, collective ownership, land economics, and outdated law collide.

Hawaiʻi does not have a shortage of aging condos. It has a shortage of options for renewing them.

That is a shortage the Legislature can fix.

For a parent hoping to pass a Makiki condo to the next generation, the question is no longer simply what the unit is worth. It is whether the building around it has a future.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":" "}]

Ray Tsuchiyama’s series explores one central question: How does Hawai‘i use the wealth and land it already has to create its next economic future? He can be reached at 

Honolulu high rises i Stock 2276409033

<title>Hawaiʻi doesn't have a condo crisis, it has a missing law</title>

Tens of thousands of people in Hawai‘i live in apartment towers that are now a half-century old, or older. Owners face sometimes ruinously expensive assessments to repair or replace aging building systems. Under Hawai‘i law they're stuck. There's no provision for owners to take the radical step of collectively selling their units and handing the building off to someone else to redevelop. Other places have such laws, here's how they work.

Hawaiʻi doesn't have a condo crisis, it has a missing law

A few years removed from electrifying the high school football scene at Kahuku, Kainoa "Kaikai" Carvalho was hoping for a different reintroduction. 

latest edition of EA Sports' College Football video game

 franchise was released, the first time Carvalho was set to be featured in the game. When he saw himself in the game, he couldn't believe it. Not in a good way. 

An image of Carvalho appeared to show the 5-foot-6, 165-pound University of Hawai‘i slot receiver with a comically large head. Despite the inaccuracy, Carvalho laughed it off and 

, amassing hundreds of thousands of views. 

"I thought it was just funny. I've seen so many funny comments on it online, and some random people stop by and they're like, 'Hey, you're the EA character guy.' It's fun," Carvalho told Aloha State Daily. "It's good to be in a game that I grew up playing, and I think it was just funny and it was a good conversation starter for a lot of people that saw me and it's fun to joke around with the guys."

In exchange for the use of his name, image and likeness, Carvalho was paid $1,500 by EA Sports, along with a free copy of the game. "Still not a bad deal," Carvlaho says of the extra cash, but he hopes EA can make some updates soon. 

"I hope that EA saw it and will update my character, but I haven't heard anything from EA, and this is my shoutout to EA that hopefully they can update the picture," Carvalho said. 

On the field, Carvalho's game has been no joke. As a junior at Kahuku High School, he was the 2021 consensus Hawai‘i state player of the year after scoring 12 touchdowns on offense and five on special teams. He signed with the University of Utah following his senior season, then went on a two-year mission 

in Hokkaido, Japan. By the time he returned, the Utes reshuffled their offensive coaching staff, and Carvalho decided to sign with Hawai‘i instead. 

In 2025, Carvalho appeared briefly in two games as he nursed a hamstring injury. During practices, he was mostly seen working on the side with UH strength coach Bobby Thomas. 

"It's all part of the process. Taking two years off, it's a lot to just get right back into the fire," said Carvalho, who ran routes in the morning during his mission in Japan in an attempt to stay sharp. "I had really great mentors like Pofele Ashlock, Nick Cencale, playing a huge role in me just getting to know the offense, understand the offense. Me and Titan (Lacaden) were young bucks last year, and just taking this step now that we can hopefully make a bigger impact on the offense."

All camp, Carvalho has been one of the standout performers, impressing with his ability to get open and make challenging catches, even if a ball is underthrown or a defender is draped on him. 

"Just getting used to my body again, and I feel bigger, faster, stronger. We have those (

 trackers on us now, and so you know the speed's getting there," Carvalho said. "I increased a couple of my numbers in the weight room, and so it's a huge testament to what Bobby Thomas has done with us in the offseason."

In assessing Hawai‘i's receiver room prior to the 2026 season opener at Stanford on Saturday, UH receivers coach Jared Ursua agreed that he has quite a few players cut from the same cloth as Carvalho heading into the season: local high school star from the Islands, sure-handed receiver, not the tallest in height but the type of gritty player that resonates with fans. Particularly in UH's slot receiver rotation, the Rainbow Warriors have Carvalho, 

, Waipahu's Tama Uiliata and Kamehameha's Blaze Kamoku to name a few.

"It just shows what this team is about," Carvalho said. "We want to stay home and we want to build this culture and this team up and just send a message that the best players can play at Hawai‘i and we can put Hawai‘i on the map."

Added Ursua: "Tight group, very close. They enjoy one another. The (local high school football) banter never stops. They're just constantly on each other. ... They're just a very close group. They're connected. I think they love each other for how much work they've put in, but they also appreciate each other for how much they're pushing one another because they've always respected each other and competed."

As for the slot receiver group and the position as a whole, Hawai‘i head coach Timmy Chang announced on the first day of fall camp that star receiver Pofele Ashlock was working his way back from injury. When asked about Ashlock's status heading into the Stanford game, Ursua says he's "flying around, he's moving, he's well ahead of schedule. ... I hope that Stanford's safeties are ready for him because he might just pop up."

Kaikai Carvalho 082626

<title>Kainoa 'Kaikai' Carvalho adds more excitement to UH football's receiver rotation</title>

Carvalho, who redshirted in 2025, was the 2021 state consensus high school football player of the year at Kahuku before going on a two-year mission to Japan.

Kainoa 'Kaikai' Carvalho adds more excitement to UH football's receiver rotation

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Banyan trees are a wonder of nature, where myths, legends, and ancient knowledge intertwine like the roots that hang from their branches.

In Buddhism, the banyan tree symbolizes enlightenment. In Hinduism, it is associated with the gods. And Asian folklore connects the banyan to spirits and magic. If the main trunk of a banyan is damaged or destroyed, it can continue to grow through its numerous roots, making it a symbol of eternal life and rebirth.

The Indian banyan (Ficus benghalensis) is the national tree of India, and represents longevity, strength, resilience, and the enduring bonds of community. A 700-year-old tree in Munger, Bihar, India is considered the oldest banyan in the world, with radiocarbon dating of its wood samples confirming it has been standing since the 1300s.

In Chinese culture, banyan trees are notable for their excellent feng shui and symbolize longevity and perseverance. They are also home to earth gods that protect their villages. In Hainan, China’s smallest and southernmost province, the banyan tree is regarded as a spirit tree that can ward off evil spirits and communicate with God. Shrines are often built at the base of these trees, and in many cases, people worship the trees themselves.

Throughout the Philippines, banyan trees are often believed to be home to engkantos, environmental spirits, as well as frightening beings like the Tikbalang and Kapre. Stories of encounters with these spirits have led many people to show respect when passing them and to leave the trees untouched, never cutting them down. Offerings were once made to appease the spirits they thought dwelled within the trees.

Across Asia, many people believe that spirits, ghosts, and deities inhabit banyan trees. The folklore in many of these cultures warns against sleeping or lingering beneath them, especially after dark, for fear of disturbing restless spirits or malicious entities.

While it’s quite common to see massive banyans in Hawai‘i, many don’t realize that these trees are not native to these islands. Archibald Cleghorn, Princess Ka‘iulani’s father, planted the first banyan tree in Hawai‘i around 1870, at ‘Ainahau, their family estate in Waikīkī. In April 1873, missionaries from India gifted a banyan to Maui Sheriff William Owen Smith, who planted it in Lāhainā to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission to Lāhainā.

The original banyan at ‘Ainahau is no longer there, which makes the one in Lāhainā one of the oldest banyans in the U.S. Although it was significantly damaged during the great fire in 2023, the Lāhainā banyan stands today as a cultural and historical landmark and represents the enduring spirit of Lāhainā and the people of Maui.

For more than 150 years, banyans have been planted all across our islands. The giant trees provide comforting shade beneath their sprawling canopies, while aerial prop roots that grow down from their branches offer endless fun for children.  

The two banyan trees adjacent to Ali‘iolani Hale in Downtown Honolulu are estimated to have been planted between 1882 and 1887. There is no record as to who planted them, but they are listed in Honolulu’s Register of Exceptional Trees and are protected under that status.

The trees are home to birds, including the indigenous manu o kū (white tern or fairy tern), the occasional four-legged pest, and perhaps something more. 

Rumors of hauntings and lingering spirits within the confines of the banyans have been around for years. One night, I came across a sheriff rushing past the trees on his way to his car. I offered a greeting, and he stopped to look at me.

[{"type":"text","text":"“You’re that ghost guy, yeah?” He pointed."}]

When I confirmed I was who he thought I was, he decided to share his story.

The sheriff said that the night before, he parked his car under the banyans because he had to visit the Kekuanaoa Building next door to check on some electricians working in the basement. When he was finished, he got back in his car, buckled his seatbelt, and then turned on his a/c. He paused to type a note into his phone and said he felt two hands come up from behind, grab his duty belt, and readjust it as he sat there. Barely a second later, he felt fingertips run through his hair, and he heard a voice call him by his name.

The man jumped out of his car, hand on his sidearm, ready to confront whoever was hiding in his vehicle. But no one was there.

Looking around, heart pounding and completely puzzled, something in the canopy above him caught his attention. The sheriff looked up and saw a thin, black figure walking from branch to branch. It stopped just above him and leaned down, as if to get a better look.

He said that while he knew the banyans near the Supreme Court Building are from India, the feeling he got from them was similar to what he encountered in the Philippines, where deceased relatives were presented to the banyan, or balete, as offerings for the ancestors, the spirits, and the gods. 

“I park in the main lot now,” the sheriff said. “If those guys need something, they can text.”

Banyans at Aliiolani Hale

<title>Haunted Banyans at Ali‘iolani Hale</title>

The two banyan trees next to Ali‘iolani Hale were planted in the 1880s. Such trees carry a wealth of symbolism throughout Asian cultures — enlightenment, divinity, magic, longevity, strength, and more. Legends also surround banyan trees as the abodes of ghosts and mysterious spirit beings. That was the experience of one Hawai‘i sheriff, who shared a frightening encounter with our authors.

Daily Smiles: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smiles: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Authors

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