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

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<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; 

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Business & Tourism

In response to the August 2023 Maui wildfires, local business owner Jared Nagura quickly responded by releasing merchandise that read “Maui Nō Ka 

 with a lokelani rose design. Proceeds were donated back to the community he calls home as it rebuilds.

“Growing up on Maui, I always appreciated the tight-knit, close community feel that there is here. On a smaller island, the call to that phrase 

Oi,’ I think it really speaks to the people more than anything. And just how we love and care for each other and really fight for that sense of community,” said Nagura, who grew up in Pā

ia on the Valley Isle’s northern coast.

“It’s still considered upcountry but it’s lower elevation. Low enough that us neighborhood kids used to walk down to the beach and go bodyboarding, mess around, you know, normal kid stuff. … And I think [this community] definitely influenced me as I grew older and started a business. I asked myself, ‘How can we be more than just selling things? How can we really impact community?’”

, a Christian apparel brand that includes Hawaiʻi-designed clothing, hats, bags and other small items. Its name derives from the Bible in 1 John 4, meaning “God is Love.”

 told Aloha State Daily that even though he grew up in church as a pastorʻs kid, it wasn't until he went off to college at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa that he took his faith more seriously.

“At first, I wanted to be a lowkey Christian, or believe what I believe, but go out and party and live the way I wanted to in college,” he said. “In my sophomore year, I started feeling more convicted about my faith. So I made a shift, and decided to start going back to church and commit myself more to Jesus. I stopped partying and naturally made different friends, who helped me pursue Jesus more actively and truthfully.”

He met his wife, Tatiana, as a teenager at King Kekaulike High School, and though college took them on separate paths, they later reconnected and dated long distance until they were married.

“So, she’s part of that (faith) journey, too,” 

During his senior year in college, Nagura said he “fell into business,” adding that at the time, he observed 

other clothing companies in the Christian space as “just selling designs and not necessarily contributing to community.”

“We started ordering a few sets of shirts, selling some and giving them out,” he said. “There was one conversation that set the tone for how our brand would move forward. Someone had visited our church and we shared about what we were trying to start and build. They [said], ‘You could be a Christian clothing brand, but you probably won’t grow as big, so maybe you should just be a Christian [owner] with a brand.’ And in my heart and mind, that just didn’t sit right with me.

“We leaned really hard into, ‘OK, we’re going to be the Christian brand here in Hawaiʻi.’”

Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co. later debuted its 

Iesū (Jesus in Native Hawaiian) Collection

, which today continues to be a best seller. From there, product releases have aimed to point people toward the Bible, while celebrating local culture and making a difference through its pass it forward program, among other initiatives.

“One of my favorite things is when we do end up in a Christian space and we give products away for free, but mention, 

‘You may not need this shirt or hat but maybe someone else does need that encouragement.’” 

. “So, my hope is, keep it if you like. But that you would use it to share Jesus with somebody. I love doing that!”

Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co. donated around 600 hats to more than 20 different high school Christian clubs statewide. “I guess the idea is just to give and see what God does,” he said.

Not to mention, he’s been quick to jump into disaster relief efforts, like with the Maui wildfires and the more recent Kona Low storms this spring.

“We’re just one family, one small team trying to do all this, so you can’t always go out and be everywhere. But what I can do is design. I can make something that has meaning tied to a relevant event and then sell it, and we’ll donate all the profits back to a nonprofit organization or somebody that is doing something.”

Mālama Pregnancy Center of Maui (now operating as 

In the early beginnings of the business, Nagura said he schooled himself in screen printing via YouTube videos to bring that part of the operation in house and got to work on improving the brand's designs.

Where does he get his creative inspiration? “I like to be inspired by the original creator, so I look to God and I see the world He made. Inspiration from the Bible, so sometimes it

’ll be a verse of Scripture. Or inspiration from some kind of plant or animal here.”

The husband-wife team currently employs one part-time employee, although one of Nagura's goals for the near future is to offer them a full-time position and hire a small team.

“God has blessed us. He’s provided for us through this business, and we’ve been able to impact our community. Within the next year, I want to be able to grow enough that we can also start providing for other families.” 

Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co. can be shopped 

on Oʻahu; among others. Nagura adds that he is not planning to open his own storefront just yet.

Oftentimes the brand pops up at various events and markets across the Islands, including the 

, which will be held Aug. 20 to 23 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. (ICYMI: ASD is an 

 for this year’s four-day event. Come say “aloha” at our booth for free games and prizes. Tickets drop at midnight Aug. 1 

Hawaiʻi's largest annual celebration of locally made products, the 32nd annual Made in Hawaiʻi Festival will showcase more than 500 vendors and expects to attract thousands of shoppers, 

When asked in late June how preparations are going for the festival, 

Nagura noted, “It’s a big one for us. We’re in prep mode right now. All our designs and ideas are finished, so we’re just going to be screen printing in the next few weeks and getting ready.”

According to him, the biz will be selling alohawear manufactured in Hawai

ʻi, along with an exclusive collab/collection (More details to be shared on Instagram).

He added: “As much as we can, we’re trying to 

produce the things that we can’t screen print ourselves. Anything that’s more garment manufacturing, we’re doing our best to have it produced on Oʻahu [with a small family business, Aloha Cut + Cloth]”

 says he and his wife will hit 20 years of marriage and their two young keiki now will be in high school then. He intends on being “really involved in their lives,” sharing his desire for them to be involved in the business, as well.

“The main thing is still representing our faith,” 

 said. “Being a father, growing with children, I look at the verses that share who a man of God is. 'Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church' or as 

'Iron sharpens iron, [so one person sharpens another.]'

 various things that encourage the biblical values in my own life ... I see how other fathers in our community live, too, [and] that’s an area of focus for me right now: to be the best dad and husband I can be.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Aloha Ke Akua

Stephanie Salmons

The popular event will be held Aug. 20 to 23 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Read on to learn more about some of the changes to this year's festival.

MIHF 081525 entrance

Made in Hawai‘i Festival to return in August

Molokai resident Solana Adachi shares the heart behind this new organization and what it means to be featured at Made in Hawaiʻi Festival on Oʻahu this year. Adachi volunteers as the nonprofit’s interim president, is a full-time business owner and mom to twins.

Molokai Alliance for Native Artisans

Made in Hawaiʻi to feature Molokai Alliance for Native Artisans

<title>Maui-based apparel brand to debut at Made in Hawaiʻi Festival</title>

Jared Nagura, owner of Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co., “fell into business” during college and credits God to its success over the past decade. The faith-based company, known for designs that blend Hawaiian language and culture with biblical messages, will for the first time be at Hawaiʻi's annual celebration of locally made products come August.

Maui-based apparel brand to debut at Made in Hawaiʻi Festival

Alika Garcia

Alika Peleholani Garcia

Viewpoints

As a first responder during the recent Kona Low storms, I know that addressing the impact of natural disasters on human beings comes first: getting people to safety, protecting their homes when possible, and helping them begin the long road to recovery.

But when the rains stop and the flood waters settle, I wear another hat as the executive director of 

. In this role, I can see the otherwise unseen impact of such storms below the ocean’s surface and the way that extreme weather is affecting our nearshore reefs — and the long-term cost of this damage to our communities.

After the Kona Lows were over, I went underwater and saw it clearly: a thousand corals torn loose, flipped, or shattered by storm surge waves and flood debris. And that was just a tiny portion of the reef that encircles our entire island.

Across Oʻahu and throughout our pae ʻāina, the damage is real and widespread.

When corals are ripped out, we lose more than coral — we lose shelter for reef life, habitat for fish, and part of the reef’s natural ability to take the punch out of waves before they reach our shoreline. That loss affects our food systems, livelihoods and community health.

While repairing portions of the reef after the Kona Low damage, Kuleana Coral Restoration recently reached a milestone: 10,000 corals planted and repaired. The number is worth celebrating, but only if we understand what it represents.

A reef is not just coral. A reef is a community: fish moving through structure, crabs sheltering in crevices, shrimp flashing in and out of shade. When coral survives, it becomes structure and structure invites life back. That’s the neighborhood returning.

But we hold a firm truth alongside the celebration: planting corals is not enough by itself. Corals live within a system shaped by what happens above them. In Hawaiʻi, our reefs sit at the ma kai end of the water cycle where everything collects.

Mauka to makai water carries life. It also carries consequences. Our corals live downstream of our choices; what we allow to happen upstream affects the lived conditions for our reefs downstream. A Kona Low is an acute example of that connection, with damage to the land and stress underwater arriving together.

That connection can feel like a mirror of community health, especially for Kānaka communities trying to persist in a modern world that wasn’t built with our best interests in mind. Reefs get smothered, stressed, and pushed by forces bigger than any single organism can solve alone — not unlike the way that our people experience the socio-economic pressures that keep us from thriving in our homeland or that drive us away.

Coral restoration matters because coral is living architecture. It is housing underwater. When reef structure collapses, the smallest relatives lose shelter first. Planting and repairing corals helps rebuild that structure so life can return.

But just like housing on land, simply building more homes doesn’t solve the housing crisis. If the systemic forces that push families out remain unchanged, the crisis continues. Reefs face the same reality. If upstream pressures don’t change, coral planting becomes temporary.

However, “upstream” doesn’t mean “out of our control.” It means that changes must be made earlier in the system; what we choose, what we tolerate, what we prioritize, and what we build together. Durable reef recovery comes when we align coral restoration work in the ocean with actionable mālama ʻāina, from working to ensure that our freshwater streams are cleaner to making smarter shoreline decisions and everything in between.

And the urgency is growing. With oceans trending warmer and the possibility of a strong El Niño pattern this year, coral bleaching and more damaging storms become more likely.

When reefs are already weakened they can’t slow waves as well, and storms can hit our coastline harder. That’s why preparation matters: ready crews, ready communities, and a shared plan to respond both above and below sea level.

Planting 10,000 corals is not a finish line. It’s a beginning: repairing the reef neighborhood while strengthening the human community that protects it.

[{"type":"text","text":"By restoring reefs, our eldest kūpuna, we restore ourselves."}]

This article is reprinted with permission from 

OHA's Ka Wai Ola newspaper: "By Restoring Our Reefs We Restore Ourselves" by Alika Peleholani Garcia, in its June 2026 issue, Vol. 43 No. 6. Read more at 

Reef Repair Project2

Hau‘oli Lorenzo-Elarco and Kenika Lorenzo-Elarco

Hawai‘i History

Rather than framing ocean protection as a burden, we should instead ask why Pacific Island peoples, and our protected and sacred oceans, are forced to bear the unfair burden of industrial fishing, write two members of the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group.

Fishing Nets

Community Voices: Commercial fishing is not a cultural practice

Philamer Felicitas

Marine debris from lost or discarded commercial fishing nets to plastic and other waste carried to the ocean by streams, rivers and lakes, does not simply disappear at sea. Much of the debris collected in the massive Great Pacific Garbage Patch north of Hawaiʻi eventually converges on our shores — especially in Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary. Despite relatively little of this waste originating in Hawaiʻi, our local community continues bearing the responsibility of ongoing cleanup efforts to protect one of the most sacred and ecologically significant places on Earth.

Marine Debris KWO Cover

Community Voices: What preserving Papahānaumokuākea means below the surface

<title>Community Voices: By Restoring Our Reefs We Restore Ourselves</title>

When corals are ripped out, we lose more than coral — we lose shelter for reef life, habitat for fish, and part of the reef’s natural ability to take the punch out of waves before they reach our shoreline. That loss affects our food systems, livelihoods and community health, says Alika Peleholani Garcia, executive director of Kuleana Coral Restoration.

Community Voices: By Restoring Our Reefs We Restore Ourselves

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, known for its casual, customizable teppanyaki plates, is opening to the public on Dec. 12.

The Japanese chain is opening its first Hawai

i location in Moanalua Shopping Center (in the former spot of Loco Moco Drive Inn, which is now located in Kapahulu). Pepper Lunch has been serving DIY Japanese teppanyaki since 1994, and has other locations in states like California, Nevada, Utah and Florida.

On grand opening day (Dec. 12) only, customers can take advantage of a buy-one-get-one-free entrée deal.

The biz is popular for its sizzling teppanyaki plates, and the menu is extensive. Its signature dish is the beef pepper rice ($15.99), but customers can also opt for combos ($19.99), premium steaks ($19.99-$35.99), sizzling curry rice ($16.99-$20.99), pastas ($16.99-$19.99) and teriyaki entrees ($16.99-$20.99). Lighter options, like salads, are also available.

Customers can order in-person or use the digital kiosks. We got a preview of the new eatery during its friends and family event.

Pepper rice entrees range from beef ($15.99) and chicken ($15.99) to shrimp ($15.99), tofu and veggie ($15.99) and salmon ($15.99). But that’s just the beginning — customers can add a variety of toppings (choose from up to 16 options), including bacon bits ($1.99), garlic chips ($1.99), extra corn ($1.99) and carrots ($1.99). Keep in mind that toppings are an additional charge. 

Once your sizzling teppanyaki plate is delivered to your table, you can mix it to your liking. Complimentary garlic soy and sweet brown sauces are at each table, so you can add those to your dish, too. The sweet brown sauce provides a nice balance to the beef pepper rice’s savory sauce. 

The beef aglio olio pasta ($16.99) was highly recommended by a staff member; we made ours more indulgent and creamy by adding extra mozzarella ($1.99).

The eatery also offers side dishes like onion rings ($5.99), sweet potato wedges ($5.99), and French fries ($4.99). Customers can round out their meals with beverages like Tractor strawberry dragonfruit ($3.99) and desserts like chocolate tort ($5.99) and yuzu cheesecakes ($4.99).

i will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Pepper Lunch jumbo beef pepper rice 120625

<title>Sizzling news: Pepper Lunch is opening its first Honolulu location</title>

The fast-casual eatery — known for its teppanyaki dishes — is opening in Moanalua Shopping Center on Dec. 12. On that day only, customers can take advantage of a buy-one-get-one-free entree deal.

Sizzling news: Pepper Lunch is opening its first Honolulu location

[{"type":"text","text":"These premium katsu sets are worth the drive to Waikīkī."}]

, which has four locations in Kyoto, Japan, just opened its first U.S. location within STIX ASIA food hall (on the lower level). The biz specializes in premium beef katsu, but also offers several other katsu specialties.

The biz opened quietly a few weeks ago, and is open daily from 5 to 9 p.m. The menu is streamlined to focus on quality dishes, according to managing partner Ryan Ko.

“It’s designed to be really quick service, so your overall dining time here will be pretty fast,” he says. “There are three grades of beef — beef katsu, beef tenderloin and U.S. wagyu. They’re served in two different portions — 4 ounces or 8.5 ounces.”

All sets include rice, wasabi, dashi soy sauce and curry sauce; customers can also take advantage of free refills of rice and sliced cabbage. Kama

āina can also enjoy a 20% discount off everything.

Keep in mind that the beef katsu comes out more rare, but you can ask for it to be more well done if you prefer.

U.S. beef katsu ($18 or $28) is served with sesame seeds, dashi soy sauce, curry sauce, sliced cabbage and white rice. All dipping sauces are housemade, according to Ko.

“There’s a bunch of different ways to eat it — with salt and wasabi; with soy dashi; a curry sauce; or your normal ground sesame with katsu sauce,” Ko says.

“Flavor-wise, the wagyu is really good and it’s attractive, as far as the price point goes, but the tenderloin is one of my favorites,” he adds.

Simply grind the sesame seeds to your preferred texture and add the tonkatsu sauce to the mix before dipping the katsu. The beef is crispy on the outside, while its interior is juicy and full of flavor.

While having wagyu is a luxury, we preferred the tenderloin, which boasted a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Even after the dish had been sitting for a while, the breaded exterior was still delectably crispy.

Using the different sauces gives each bite of katsu a unique taste and flavor. The thick, slightly tangy katsu sauce was my favorite, but the homemade, comforting curry sauce was a close second.

The assorted seafood katsu set ($28) is a delicious sampler, comprising salmon roe, salmon katsu, tuna katsu and two pieces of shrimp katsu. It’s served with tartar sauce, curry sauce, sesame seeds, sliced cabbage and white rice.

While shrimp katsu never disappoints — this dish features black tiger shrimp, so it’s a generous size — the salmon katsu is a unique option, especially when topped with ikura. The maguro katsu is also a winner.

Kyoto Katsuda also offers sides of katsu, including 4-ounce portions of beef katsu ($8) and beef tenderloin katsu ($14), salmon ikura katsu ($8) and a two-piece shrimp katsu ($10).

The eatery validates parking at Waikīkī Shopping Plaza. Daily parking validation from STIX ASIA food hall is available from 5 to 10 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Customers can receive a two-hour parking validation with purchases of $20 or more.

Kyoto Katsuda chuck tail wagyu 090225

<title>Kyoto Katsuda, which specializes in premium beef katsu, is now open in Honolulu</title>

The biz, which has four outlets in Kyoto, Japan, recently opened its first U.S. location within STIX ASIA food hall in Waikīkī. You’ll not only find U.S. beef katsu, but salmon katsu, shrimp katsu, tuna katsu and more.

Daily Smiles: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

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Daily Smiles: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

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