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.
SPJ Hawai‘i 2025 Excellence in Journalism Awards: Second Place, Column Writing or Blog/Features or Sports, “Cheryl Tsutsumi's Uncles and Aunties," in the News Media division, open to all print and digital.
Latest from Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Uncles and Aunties: Avid collectors Ilene Wong and Wayne Maeda share hobby with Hawai‘i year round
The pair launched the Wiki Wiki One Day Vintage Collectibles & Hawaiiana Show in October 2002 as a companion to their three-day Hawai‘i All-Collectors Show, which started in 1991. Learn how the shows came to be, how it has grown over time and where you can shop next.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiSeptember 21, 2026
Uncles and Aunties: Kumu Hula Pattye Wright to participate in Aloha Festivals Floral Parade
Wright, 91, founder of Nā Puakea o Koʻolaupoko in Kailua, is keeping busy teaching seven weekly classes across the globe, while volunteering at church. Come September, this will be the hālau's fourth year entering a float in the parade, which allows them to share their culture with spectators and grow closer with one another, says Shiori Kaʻimilani Koehler, another kumu for the hālau.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiAugust 25, 2026
Uncles and Aunties: Vicky Holt Takamine, legendary kumu hula
“My mother was my inspiration,” Takamine told ASD. “I used to watch her dance on the ‘Lucky Luck’ TV show in the 1950s. I begged her to let me go to hula classes, but she said I was too young and that I would quit after a year. I proved her wrong!” In 2025, she was recognized as a Living Treasure of Hawai‘i for her accomplishments — one of several accolades, both local and national, she has received over the years for her contributions to hula and Native Hawaiian arts and culture.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiJuly 22, 2026
Uncles and Aunties: The Logan ʻohana serve up sweet treats
Paul Logan, who grew up in Wahiawā, is having the time of his life as the “Uncle” of Uncle’s Ice Cream Sandwiches, which wholesales its sweet treats to 150 retailers on the Mainland and close to 200 statewide, including Foodland, Whole Foods and ABC stores. His wife, Barbara, helps manage the finances for the business and enjoys sharing about his post-Merchant Marine ventures such as surviving a super typhoon in Saipan with their two-month-old son, renovating a 200-year-old chateau near Verviers, Belgium, and more.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiJune 10, 2026
Uncles and Aunties: Ron Montgomery, finds 'thrill' repairing planes
Ron Montgomery served in the Navy for 28 years as an aircraft mechanic and air crewman, and shortly after worked a 25-year career with Hawaiian Airlines. Now, you can find him volunteering to restore a variety of vintage planes, mostly World War II-era, at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. On May 23, the museum will hold a community event, themed Armed Forces Appreciation.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiMay 12, 2026
Uncles and Aunties: Kate Johnson, the cycling clarinetist of the Royal Hawaiian Band
Kate Johnson has been a clarinetist with the Royal Hawaiian Band for 25 years, and has competed in numerous triathlons. She still gets in 60 miles of cycling a week in between performances.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiApril 09, 2026
