Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Government & Politics

Columnists

 about how they crafted SB2471 and what they intend for it do if Gov. Josh Green signs it into law. I've also written some thoughts on what the bill might actually do and 

 as it attempts to nullify the effects of the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Islands.

, president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i, puts me in the hot seat to ask what I think it all means for Hawai‘i. You can watch the episode in full at the link below.

One topic we discuss: Everyone seems to agrees we need to get corporate money out of elections and put people first, but in a state where 99% of all businesses are small business, and they're all incorporated, are "corporations" really villains? "Corporations" include your favorite restaurant, or the flower shop down the street.

[{"type":"text","text":"My thanks to Keli‘i for hosting me, he had great questions! "}]

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Akina and Napier

<title>Pipikaula Corner: A Conversation about SB2471</title>

ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier appears in this week's episode of Talk Story with Keli‘i Akina, on ThinkTech Hawai‘i, to discuss SB2471. The Legislature almost unanimously passed the bill to overturn the Citizens United decision in Hawai‘i last Friday. It now awaits Gov. Josh Green's signature. Akina has questions — what does this mean for Hawai‘i?  Watch it here.

Pipikaula Corner: A Conversation about SB2471

Lately, I&#039;ve been interviewing lawmakers about how they crafted SB2471 and what they intend for it do if Gov. Josh Green signs it into law. I&#039;ve also written some thoughts on what the bill might actually do and who it serves as it attempts to nullify the effects of the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Islands. This week, Dr. Keli‘i Akina, president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i, puts me in the hot seat to ask what I think it all means for Hawai‘i. You can watch the episode in full at the link below. One topic we discuss: Everyone seems to agrees we need to get corporate money out of elections and put people first, but in a state where 99% of all businesses are small business, and they&#039;re all incorporated, are &quot;corporations&quot; really villains? &quot;Corporations&quot; include your favorite restaurant, or the flower shop down the street. My thanks to Keli‘i for hosting me, he had great questions!     A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team. For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter. 

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

In the early 1800s, King Kamehameha I moved his Royal Court to Honolulu, where the waters of Māmala Bay reached the shorelines of what are now Halekauwila and Queen Streets. Kamehameha’s kauhale was built near Pākākā Heiau, mainly where Walker Park is now, and his kāhuna made their home about a half mile away in Kakaʻako.

In the time of Kamehameha I, kāhuna were the keepers of knowledge that governed everything from building to planting to placing curses on people to communicating with the gods. The highest-ranking kahuna at the time was Hewahewa. As kahuna nui, he was required to master all forms of traditional knowledge, including kahuna ʻānaʻāna (sorcery by means of prayer). Hewahewa interpreted the will of the akua and advised Kamehameha on matters of war and kapu. Through sacred rituals, he sanctified heiau, conducted offerings, and demanded sacrifice, all in the name of the gods.

On the shores of Māmala Bay, the kāhuna studied their crafts and practiced their arts daily. Communicating with akua and warding off curses from rival ali‘i was a full-time job, and the spiritual and emotional weight of the dozens of practicing kāhuna would have left quite a mark upon the land in which they lived. This place became known as Mililani, and Hewahewa and his kāhuna lived there until Kamehameha moved his court to Kailua-Kona in 1813.

Years later, an aliʻi couple, Manuia and Kaupena, came to Honolulu to serve as retainers for King Kamehameha II and settled upon this lot. In 1829, they sailed with Governor Boki on his sandalwood expedition. The trip was met with disaster, and Kaupena returned to Honolulu with the body of her husband and buried him at their home. After Kaupena’s death, the property was passed on to her brother, Namauu, who lived there from the time of the expedition until his own death in 1848. 

The beachfront Mililani parcel then came into the possession of Mataio Kekuanaoʻa, and eventually Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani, half-sister of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, and Princess Victoria Kamāmalu.

As Honolulu Harbor was dredged to accommodate larger ships, the sand and coral from the bay were added along the shore and reef. By the 1880s, this “reclaimed land” extended the shoreline several hundred feet, and by the 1890s, Halekauwila Street had been born, and Mililani was now landlocked.

Over the decades, the land along Halekauwila held various hale pili, then small businesses, and, in the 1940s, a garage and warehouse for auto parts. In 1949, the land bounded by Queen, Punchbowl, Halekauwila, and Mililani Streets was acquired by the government for a new Territorial office building. In the spring of 1951, the building was dedicated as the Princess Ruth Keʻelikolani Building and housed the Territorial Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Civil Service Commission, the Hawaiʻi Employees Retirement System, and the Council of Veterans Affairs.

A lot of the stories about strange events in the building seem almost dismissive. The weird things that happen are often small and easy to explain away. Someone’s missing keys or supplies that suddenly reappear could be attributed to a forgetful memory, and knocking sounds could be the building settling.

While we were unable to confirm the rumor that an orphanage once stood in this spot, the sounds of children laughing and running through the halls are common, even though there are no children present.

The issues with the lights are more frequent and more odd. In the 1980s, at least one office had lights that would flicker only when someone passed through the doorway. Sharing the information and testing it out with new coworkers almost became a form of entertainment. But most people in the building would say this could have been caused by an electrical anomaly or crossed wires. Most commonly, people passing through the halls have sworn they could see lights glowing beneath office doors, but when they open those same doors, the rooms are dark and empty.

One of the oddest places in the building was the supply room. It was a small, windowless space slightly larger than a closet that no one paid much attention to until they needed something. For years, the door had no lock. People came and went freely, grabbing paper, white-out, typewriter ribbon, and anything else needed to get their work done.

One afternoon, a clerk from the third floor stepped inside with a short list of needs from her coworkers. She gathered the items quickly and tried to leave, but when she turned the handle, the door wouldn’t open. She tried pushing the door and turning the handle harder. She tried lifting the handle and pulling at the door, but nothing happened. No matter how hard the woman tried, the door just would not open.

With no other way out, panic began to set in, and the woman started pounding on the door. She yelled for help, believing someone would hear her, but no one came to her rescue. She pressed her ear against the door, but couldn’t hear anything beyond her own breathing. Several minutes passed, and she began pounding harder and yelling louder.

[{"type":"text","text":"Then, suddenly, the door opened."}]

A person from another office stood there, confused. They said they hadn’t heard anything, no pounding, no shouting, until the exact moment they walked in front of the door. And when they reached for the handle, it turned easily, and the door swung open with no issue. There was no explanation. The door worked fine, just as it always had.

After that, a lock was installed. Access was restricted, and the key was controlled by a single department. Most employees thought it was to control the supplies, which makes perfect sense, but one woman is certain that someone else, a department head, got locked in, too.

Keelikolani building

<title>Strange Events at the Ke‘elikōlani Building</title>

It's hard to imagine now, but this area of the Capitol District of Honolulu was once waterfront property, where King Kamehameha I and his Royal Court made their home. Now, state government department heads, rather than powerful kahuna, hold sway, but it's possible the old energies linger, causing eerie experiences.

Strange Events at the Ke‘elikōlani Building

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

A new loan program just launched by the Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority aims to help condominium associations with critical repairs and maintenance needs.

The Condominium Association Loan Program provides direct loans to Associations of Apartment Owners, or AOAOs.

Through the new program, loans can be used for deferred maintenance and repairs including installing, repairing or replacing fire sprinklers or other safety measures; repairing or replacing pipes or the roof, and other "qualifying risk-reducing improvements approved by HGIA," an announcement from HGIA on Monday noted.

"Hawaiʻi’s condominium insurance market has become increasingly unstable, with many associations finding it increasingly difficult to obtain hurricane insurance policies with full coverage," an announcement from HGIA notes. "Aging building systems and deferred maintenance increase risks and leave buildings underinsured, resulting in a significant financing gap for both the condominium project and its individual unit owners."

In an effort to stabilize an unstable insurance market, Gov. Josh Green last year signed 

 into law. The legislation, in part, reactivated the Hawai‘i Hurricane Relief Fund 

to "provide insurance coverage in scenarios where the private market fails to do so," 

 from the Governor's Office at that time noted.

Monday's announcement says it also allowed HGIA "to develop direct financing and credit enhancement programs for qualified condominium associations."

"These programs are part of the state's efforts to stabilize the property insurance market by reducing the risk of future claims, through proactive maintenance and upgrades," HGIA said.

To qualify for the new loan program, a condo association must receive at least one "adverse action letter" from a financial institution denying a requested loan, and the association must also agree to get full replacement property and hurricane insurance after repairs are complete, HGIA says.

"I think it's going to be good for some boards because there's a lot of condos — it's not just here in Hawai‘i, it's across the country — that have a lot of deferred maintenance," Raelene Tenno, education chair for Hawai‘i Council of Community Associations, told Aloha State Daily.

Hawai‘i Council of Community Associations

with homeowner associations that include condominium buildings, townhomes and single-family homes.

In a follow-up email, Tenno told ASD that condo boards have been faced with "unexpected huge increases to their master insurance policies and it left boards making hard decisions as this all relates to their operating budget and ultimately to the monthly maintenance fees."

And when it comes to deferred maintenance projects, material costs have skyrocketed, she says. Planned repairs are now out of budget due to these higher costs, which may force condos to seek bank financing or require a special assessment.

Some homeowners may prefer to refinance their mortgage to pay for the special assessment, Tenno explained, but in order to do so, mortgage lenders look at the financial health of the condo, and part of that is the master insurance policy. Lenders require condos to have a 100% replacement value on their policy, she said, and if the owner is in a condo where the board chose to reduce the replacement coverage. lenders won't lend on that condo.

"The new loan program through the HGIA can help these condominiums resolve problems that, in some cases, were created by prior boards, leaving the current board to confront the consequences and get it done," Tenno wrote.

Act 296 also established a complementary condominium loan credit enhancement, available for community development financial institutions, which enables the CDFIs to provide loans to condo associations at "competitive rates and terms" for maintenance and repairs, the announcement states.

"It lowers the risk for CDFIs that lend to condominium associations by using state funds to create a  loan-loss reserve that covers first losses if a borrower defaults," the announcement noted.

Both programs are funded by a $20 million reimbursable general obligation fund. Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Honolulu neighborhoods from downtown 031025

<title>Loan program launched for condominium associations</title>

Loan program launched for condominium associations

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

A battle over a proposed music festival on Hawai‘i Island will come to a head Thursday, May 14.

Each year since 2023, Andrew Tepper, a landowner in Pāpa‘ikou on the windward side of Hawai‘i Island held a multi-day music festival called “Falls on Fire” modeled after the annual “Burning Man” festival in Nevada. Tepper’s festival attracted hundreds of attendees to camp on his land for several days, despite the event not having the proper permits from the county.

In order to keep hosting the event, Tepper — more specifically, his company Teppy Mountain LLC — 

 to secure a special permit from the county’s Windward Planning Commission. He applied for such a permit last year, requesting that he be allowed to host a four-day festival with up to 500 attendees on 14 acres of a greater 1,400-acre parcel.

The application has also requested approval from the commission to be allowed to continue to store several commercial vehicles used to haul gravel on the property, about which the county Planning Department had previously issued a warning to Tepper. Planning Department documents repeatedly refer to that vehicle storage area as a “heavy equipment rental base yard,” a non-agricultural commercial use on agricultural land, which requires a special permit.

However, some of Tepper’s neighbors requested a contested case hearing on the matter, citing complaints of excessive noise and potential impacts to local roads.

That hearing, which took place in November, 

 came out in favor of Tepper: a hearing officer concluded that the permit should be granted, albeit with certain conditions such as requiring Tepper to develop a traffic management plan and to host all festival-related parking on his property.

On Thursday, the Planning Commission will hold a special meeting to determine whether to adopt the hearing officer’s recommendations and conditions.

But those conditions are too restrictive, Teppy Mountain 

. For example, the hearing officer recommended that all amplified music must cease by 9 p.m., and that Tepper be responsible for building traffic passing areas on Indian Tree Road, the small private road connecting the property to State Highway 19.

Regarding the music, Teppy Mountain has argued that the 9 p.m. cutoff is too stringent than necessary. At the 2025 festival, all speakers faced inland toward the remainder of the uninhabited 1,400-acre parcel, claimed a letter by Teppy Mountain to the Planning Commission.

At the contested case hearing, one of the opponents of the festival said the noise during the 2025 festival “wasn’t too bothersome this year.”

Instead, Teppy Mountain proposed placing noise monitoring stations along the property line to ensure that the sound level doesn’t exceed a certain level.

Meanwhile, Thursday’s meeting already seems poised to generate fireworks. Several Pāpa‘ikou residents — including some involved in the contested case — have submitted testimony in advance of the meeting urging that the Planning Commission reject Tepper’s application.

“The scale and intensity of access required for "Falls on Fire" — large gatherings, peak traffic surges, and reliance by emergency responders — also effectively transforms this private easement into a de facto public access route without corresponding public governance or enforceable standards,” 

 Jim McMahon, one of Tepper’s neighbors who requested the contested case hearing, in a lengthy letter to the Planning Commission.

“Events modeled after large mainland festival culture are more appropriate in locations specifically designed with the infrastructure, emergency access, transportation systems, and zoning necessary to support them without negatively impacting residential communities and culturally sensitive lands,” read 

[{"type":"text","text":"The special meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday in Hilo."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Aloha State Daily requested comment from Tepper and his legal counsel."}]

Fallsonfire 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i County to decide whether to allow 'Burning Man'-style festival</title>

"Falls on Fire" festival in Pāpa‘ikou has generated controversy among Big Isle neighbors.

Hawai‘i County to decide whether to allow 'Burning Man'-style festival

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

i location in Kapolei Marketplace in 2020, is unveiling its seventh Hawai

i store tomorrow in Windward Mall. The new eatery is located near Ninja Sushi and HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union in the mall; it features seating for approximately 70 customers.

“We are excited to continue our growth in Hawaiʻi with the opening of our newest location at Windward Mall,” states Tina Wang, owner and founder of Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya. “Since launching in 2020, our expansion has been driven by the ongoing support of our local community. We are proud to bring our signature ramen and izakaya offerings to the Windward side and to bring new options to our loyal guests.”

The new Windward Mall location is the business’s only store to offer a variety of yakitori sticks. Customers can choose from chicken meatball, chicken thigh and chicken with green onion ($3.99 each).

“We always wanted to add it (the skewers) but it was hard to do,” Wang says. “Finally, we decided maybe we should try at this location.

“I’m excited for the new items we are adding to each of our locations,” she adds, noting that the business also recently opened its first Washington location.

The eatery’s signature ramen dishes include the Tanaka Classic ($17.99) — comprising pork broth, pork chashu, spicy bean sprouts, green onions, fried onions, garlic oil, kikurage and a seasoned egg with thick noodles — and the spicy creamy vegan ramen ($17.99). The latter features a vegan broth with spicy bean sprouts, spinach, atsuage tofu, garlic, chili oil, crispy onions and green onions with kale noodles.

The Tanaka garlic volcano ($22.99) is another popular choice. It features thick noodles in a pork broth with level two spiciness topped with bean sprouts, pork chashu, green onions, fresh garlic, black garlic oil and a seasoned egg.

Other customer favorites include appetizers like housemade pork gyoza ($8.49) and karaage chicken ($9.99 for five pieces, $16.99 for 10 pieces), along with bowls like Tokyo curry don ($12.49), unagi don ($23.99) and karaage don ($16.99).

To celebrate its grand opening, the eatery is offering a variety of limited-time promotions. All customers who dine in on May 13 before 5 p.m. can take advantage of a BOGO offer; when they buy a ramen or rice bowl, the second bowl will be 50% off (applies to bowls of equal or lesser value).

From May 13 to 17, customers can enjoy Tanaka’s lunch combo — which includes an izakaya dish, lunch portion of Tanaka classic, spicy or combo ramen, and any soft drink — at a special price when dining from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

From May 15 to 17, individuals can enjoy Sapporo beers for $4 each. Customers who bring a receipt back to the restaurant from opening day (May 13) within seven days will receive a complimentary izakaya dish of their choice with any rice bowl or ramen purchase.

A portion of the eatery’s grand opening proceeds will benefit local nonprofit Aloha Harvest.

All Windward Mall employees, University of Hawai

i system students and faculty, and military members can enjoy 10% off with proof of ID at this location.

Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Tanaka Ramen Windward Mall owner Tina Wang 051226

From Oct. 25 to Nov. 2, customers can take advantage of discounts and promotions at all six Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya locations across Hawaiʻi.

Tanaka Ramen noodle pull 102225

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya is celebrating its fifth anniversary with limited-time specials

MENSHO, founded in 2005 in Japan, is opening in Kapolei’s Ka Makana Aliʻi on May 2 at 5 p.m. The business is famous for its farm-to-bowl philosophy, and will feature Hawaiʻi-exclusive bowls like butter clam and garlic shrimp ramen.

Mensho Hawaii chef and owner 042726

Michelin-recognized ramen spot is opening first Hawaiʻi location

<title>Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya is opening in Windward Mall</title>

The business’s newest location is celebrating its grand opening on Wednesday, May 13. This is Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya’s seventh Hawaiʻi location. Customers can enjoy a discounted ramen offer on May 13, along with specials during the restaurant’s first week of operation.

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya is opening in Windward Mall

Chef Jason Yamaguchi has been working with Latin flavors for the last “18 to 25 years,” he says. Yamaguchi — who owns 

, a restaurant in the heart of Corona Del Mar in California — is no stranger to Nikkei, or Peruvian-Japanese fusion, cuisine.

“It’s become not only a culture for me; it’s something very comfortable,” he says. “When we opened Roy’s (restaurant) in 1999 in Fashion Island (Newport Beach), 90% of the back of the house was either Costa Rican, Peruvian or Mexican. That’s when I was learning; I was getting encapsulated in culture and cuisine. I learned how to make chilaquiles when I was 15 years old.”

Yamaguchi opened Konpa last September. The eatery’s concept is inspired by both, his travels throughout Peru and his Japanese heritage. Most recently, Yamaguchi became the consulting chef at Ki Club and started a new menu focused on Nikkei cuisine; he splits his time between Hawaiʻi and California. 

Many of the new dishes at Ki Club are influenced by Konpa, according to Yamaguchi.

“The flavor profiles are definitely inspired (by Konpa),” he says. “It was apparent to me that this was something that needed to be live in Hawai

i. It’s something that’s more relevant to the culture.

“This food is supposed to be simple, not complex,” Yamaguchi adds. “We just want good food in Hawai

Even if they’re never experienced Peruvian cuisine before, customers will recognize local-style elements on the menu. The lobster linguine ($42) — one of the few remaining dishes from Ki Club’s previous menu — features a savory uni butter, Kahuku sweet corn, Thai basil and tobiko. The ‘ahi pizza ($21) comprises a flour tortilla topped with tenderized sashimi, yuzu mayo, shaved sweet onions, fried capers and truffle oil.

Most dishes on the menu are made for sharing. If you love sashimi, start with the tiradito de ‘ahi ($13). Tiradito is a Peruvian raw fish dish that features thinly sliced seafood. Big Island ‘ahi is topped with bubu arare, honey dashi and Kizami nori, and is served in a creamy aji verde sauce.

The ensalada kani ($16), or crab salad, is also highly recommended. The dish features hearty chunks of Samoan crab with Fuji apple foam and crowned with daikon sprouts and squid ink tuile. We’re told the delicate tuile is made to resemble black coral.

The dish is refreshing overall; the creamy chunks of crab are balanced nicely by the crispy tuile.

If Yamaguchi had to recommend one dish from his menu, it would be the lomo saltado. Traditionally, it features fries topped with thinly sliced beef steak that’s stir-fried. This version features aged wagyu served with potatoes, a sweet-and-savory sauce and blistered tomatoes with an egg on top.

[{"type":"text","text":"“It’s kind of a reconceptualized version of the lomo,” he says."}]

Similar to some Nikkei-style restaurants in Peru, the nigiri here features a potato starch base instead of rice. The base is soft and slightly chewy — reminiscent of gnocchi — and each piece features a proportional fish-to-starch ratio.

The vibrant, creamy aji Amarillo sauce atop the kanpachi adds a slight spice. Meanwhile, the ‘ahi boasts a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Both nigiri come with wasabi on the side.

The croquette Cordero ($12) feature three fried fritters stuffed with kakuni pork, curry de papas — a potato curry — and are topped with Mizuna chimichurri. The chimichurri sauce is slightly spicy, but gives the dish an herbaceous flavor.

Desserts include picarones ($13) — a classic Peruvian treat comprising sweet potato and kabocha squash donuts — miso crème brulee ($12) and pina borracha ($13). The latter features a coconut frangipane cake with coconut lime mousse, banana lilikoʻi curd and pisco roasted pineapples.

“The drunken pineapple dessert is something that is very popular in Peru,” Yamaguchi says. “It’s only been a couple weeks (since this menu launched), but this has become our own local favorite here.”

The restaurant’s cocktail menu is also full of new, creative libations. Options include sake spritz ($14) — comprising sparkling sake, elderflower and yuzu — pisco sour ($16) with habanero bitters; Kyoto nights ($16), made with hojicha rum; and margarita de tamarindo ($14). The latter features Reposado tequila, lime and chamoy, with a tajin rim. 

Stay tuned — the eatery will be featuring a series of pop-ups in the upcoming months.

“This is something really cool and new; every month, we’re going to do an activation,” Yamaguchi says. “It’s all going to be Nikkei-focused.”

Open for dinner from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays

Ki Club Jason Yamaguchi 050826

<title>Chef Jason Yamaguchi is the new consulting chef at Ki Club</title>

Yamaguchi — who also owns Konpa, located in Southern California — is bringing Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to the Honolulu eatery. The new menu highlights Nikkei-style dishes ranging from ‘ahi nigiri and lomo saltado to mushroom ceviche.

Pipikaula Corner: A Conversation about SB2471

A. Kam Napier

Editor-in-Chief

More in Government & Politics

Loan program launched for condominium associations

Hawai‘i County to decide whether to allow 'Burning Man'-style festival

Community Voices: Follow the yellow brick road

Formby steps down as Honolulu managing director

Most read

Pipikaula Corner: A Conversation about SB2471

Authors

A. Kam Napier

Editor-in-Chief

More in Government & Politics

Loan program launched for condominium associations

Hawai‘i County to decide whether to allow 'Burning Man'-style festival

Community Voices: Follow the yellow brick road

Formby steps down as Honolulu managing director

Most read