Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Born and raised in Honolulu, Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi has written 13 books and countless newspaper, magazine and online articles about Hawai‘i’s history, culture, food and lifestyle. She has traveled the world as an award-winning member of the Society of American Travel Writers, including Bali, Pohnpei, Tonga, Macau, Sicily, Singapore and the Czech Republic. When she’s not perfecting prose, you’ll likely find her practicing serves and strokes on an East O‘ahu tennis court. For Aloha State Daily, she writes a monthly column, Uncles & Aunties, sharing the stories of our kūpuna, their lives, and the experiences making the Hawai‘i we know and love.
Latest from Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Uncles and Aunties: Barbara Tinius, Ikenobo sensei
Kailuaʻs Barbara Tinius first explored the Japanese art of flower arrangement when woking in Tokyo in the ’80s. She has since achieved 16 levels of certification in the art and teaches classes that you can take yourself.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiMay 10, 2025
Uncles and Aunties: Melvin Matsuda, the karate farmer of Kahuku
Kahuku-born and -raised, Melvin Matsuda decamped to California in the early ’70s with his black belt and ran successful martial arts schools in San Bernadino and Palm Springs for five years. But when his father asked if he would come home to look after the family farm, he signed on, came home, and never looked back.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiApril 25, 2025