It’s been nearly four months now since my good friend Brian Suda passed away in May. It’s easy to feel his presence — we were workmates for about 13 years. But his work is ever-present whenever I’m working on this magazine. This is where we met. It started back in 2010. I just gotten back from a long career in Los Angeles.
The original team in the early years. A breakfast meeting of sorts. (L–R) Wilson, Amy, Brian and Percy.
Our first issue was on Kirk Matthews and I needed a local photographer. It was by happenstance that Brian’s wife, Pamela, was one of the magazine’s early advisors. So naturally, she recommended her husband Brian.
My first communication with Brian was immediately friendly. He was very accommodating, which made it even easier to discuss directions with him. This was his greatest attribute as a professional and as a person: Brian was easygoing. Easily, friendship became the foundation of our relationship. We took it to heart; maintaining integrity of our work creatively with respect to each other’s craft. Always conscious of our own limitations, we often relied on each other to complete the visual goal. No matter the mundaneness of the subject or the parameters we had to work within, Brian always explored ways to elevate it to another level, even at his own expense — he was very talented and he was a perfectionist — which I’ve always admired. His easygoing attitude was also a plus for everyone working with him.
The process of a photoshoot always has a level of stress. Brian hardly showed it, but he could be a little bit of a worrywart — as he admitted to me one day. We knew we could never control every aspect of a photoshoot, and when certain wrenches get thrown in the mix, Brian always had a plan “B” and then would say “Let’s just have fun.” And that just sums it up on how we mainly rolled.
BRIAN HIROMI SUDA May 18, 1960 May 29, 2023
Of course, afterwards, we’d always revel over a few cocktails, his choices being as carefully planned as a connoisseur’s. “We did it again!,” we’d say with a good laugh. We like patting ourselves on the back. That’s what friends are for: To give each other kudos for even making it out alive. We’d laugh at the unnoticed mishaps. And Brian was always out for a good laugh. I could tell him the sorriest story or joke and I’d get a good belly-chuckle. There are so many wonderful stories I could tell.
In our profession, the joys we find are in the process — the camaraderie, the cheers over a beer. That’s what it’s all about. We love what we do. And we love the people we do it with. Through heartache and laughter, and rolling with the punches, we survive. That’s what we all do. Then, afterwards, we take it to the bar to swap stories — and give each other a round of pats on the back saying, “Good job, buddy. You’ve done well.” I miss you already, Brian. You’ve been an awesome photographer, colleague and friend.
It’s been nearly four months now since my good friend Brian Suda passed away in May. It’s easy to feel his presence — we were workmates for about 13 years. But his work is ever-present whenever I’m working on this magazine. This is where we met. It started back in 2010.
Norm Chow reflects on his first year on the field.
“I always tell the kids, We stand on the shoulders of the great men and women that have gone on before us.”
By most reports, 62 is now the most common retirement age by far. Yet, many folks are adjusting to the poor economy and retiring later at 65 or older. Then there’s Norm Chow…
In late 2011, at the ripe retirement age of 65, when most people would be counting down the days to senior benefits, Chow agreed to a five-year deal for his first collegiate head coaching job as the University of Hawai‘i’s 22nd head football coach.
The Punahou School alum and Palolo Valley native succeeds Greg McMackin, who retired after four seasons as head coach of the Warriors. Chow is the first Asian-American head coach of a major college football program.
Home Game
Starting over with a new job in a new state with a new team wasn’t perhaps the ideal scenario, but it was one for which Chow was ready.
He was ready to return to his native state and he was prepared to support Hawai‘i’s home team. Chow admits that when UH was looking for a new head coach, he already had a job and didn’t have much interest. But after the first interview, he says he realized how important the football program is to Hawai‘i. “It’s the only game in town, only one team … and people want to rally around this program,” he says. “Everyone understands how important our football program is to Hawai‘i, and we just need unconditional support from our alumni and the community. Our kids are trying so hard and we need the support. It’s all about supporting the kids!”
Working For A Living
Beyond given an opportunity to coach in Hawai‘i, Chow is “staying in the game” because he enjoys “supporting the kids of the future” and his role as coach. And he’s not alone. The Sloan Center on Aging and Work, for example, cites data showing that nine of 10 older workers enjoy their jobs. And why not? Many of us— like Chow — work a lifetime to learn the skills and gain the recognition to hold our hard-earned job titles.
Chow’s first coaching job was as the head coach at Waialua High, Oahu, from 1970 –72. He then began his 27-year stint at Brigham Young University (BYU), serving in a variety of coaching and recruiting capacities.
One of the major features of head coaching in college football is the high turnover rate for jobs. College coaches routinely change jobs, rarely staying at a school for more than a decade. Yet Chow remained with BYU for nearly three decades. “I stayed at BYU because my wife Diane and I wanted to raise our children in a normal environment,” Chow explains. “Coaching doesn’t lead to a very normal lifestyle, as you know. We made a commitment that all four of our children would attend the same elementary and high schools.”
The following 10 years his coaching experience included North Carolina State, USC, Tennessee Titans, UCLA and, finally, Utah.
Work Hard. Play Hard.
“My father instilled the hard work ethic and [encouraged us] to make something of ourselves,”The national median age is 50 for college football head coaches in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (I FBS). Yet Chow says being an older coach doesn’t hold him back. Rather, by working with student athletes in a college atmosphere he “tries to stay young with the kids.” He says, “I still have the adrenaline going, the challenges to compete. I’m 67 now and still enjoy the wins and I still don’t enjoy the losses … but nothing beats a Saturday afternoon football game.”
Considered one of the top offensive coaches in collegiate football history, Chow works hard and expects the same of his staff.
When first hired at UH, Chow set the tone during his introductory press conference, “I’m 65 years old. I’ll out-work any of you. We will have the hardest working coaching staff around. Without question. They will not be hired, if they are not willing to go to work.”
Many of his values, Chow says, come from his upbringing. “My father instilled the hard work ethic and [encouraged us] to make something of ourselves,” he recalls. “We got up early at 5 a.m., ate breakfast and went to school.”
He expects commitment from his players as well. Unlike head coaches at other levels, college coaching staffs are solely responsible for the composition and development of players on the team. The ability to recruit and develop top players plays a major role in a college team’s success.
Chow’s former players can attest to that. “[With Norm as head coach], UH will be an extremely hard-working team that’s well prepared,” says Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders quarterback, Heisman Trophy Winner and former USC quarterback. “He will focus on winning, education and just bettering the young kids that he’s tutoring.”†
A New Game
After 13 years of the Run-and-Shoot Offense scheme that was installed by former Head Coach June Jones, Chow has implemented a Pro Style Offense scheme, which is more complex than typical college offenses and resembles those predominantly used at the NFL professional level.
Another major change was a switch in conferences. The UH team was a part of the Western Athletic Conference until July 2012, when the team joined the Mountain West Conference (MWC).
As first-year MWC members, the team finished the season 3–9 overall, 1–7 in the MWC to finish in a tie for ninth place.
“It was to so hard last year to see the losses in the locker room and see the hurt in our kids’ eyes. It has been hard,” Chow admits. “But we didn’t quit and fought hard last year. You know, we played a tremendously difficult schedule. We didn’t play that easy money game like most Division I schools.
“And we will not shy away from the challenge. We need to play better, smarter football this year. We just need to use better schemes. People today are not patient, so we need to get it going.”
Part of “getting it going” is Chow’s focus on recruiting, which includes keeping top local recruits in Hawai‘i. In this respect, Chow has had to change his recruiting pitch. For years as a Mainland coach and recruiter, he worked to convince local kids to leave Hawai‘i. Now he’s asking them to stay home and to make us proud. “I tell them, You can play good football here in Hawai‘i — just like on the Mainland. Plus, you will get a good education here at UH.”
Trevor Mattich, former BYU offensive lineman and ESPN analyst agrees. “[At BYU] I knew then that our talent was always maximized and no matter what happened, our guys were in a position to win. Off the field though, he’s even a better fit because he’s from Honolulu and knowing the family values of the Polynesian culture is critical. He understands that.”†
Off The Field
But coming home after 40 years of living and working on the Mainland was hard at times. “I married a gal from the Mainland and I have been away so long, but I make the best of the situation,” Chow says, “Hawai‘i is my home and you can’t beat that.”
Surprisingly, his wife Diane is not a football fan, and Chow notes that it’s been hard on her all these years. “When she goes to the games, she doesn’t watch the game. She just screams to cut out all the noise,” he says. “She raised our children, is a terrific gal and she deals with our crazy schedule and life.”
When it comes to retirement, Chow says he doesn’t give it much thought. “I am sure that day will come … my concern is that my wife and I don’t have any hobbies so that will be difficult and we need to figure that out. But, I tell my wife that our next job will be counting sand pebbles.”
The University of Hawai‘i Alumni Association (UHAA) connects alumni and friends with the university and with each other. Alumni can become an UHAA member and support the alma mater in many essential ways, including supporting UH athletics. For more information, visit uhalumni.org or the official site for UH Athletic Fundraising at www.koaanuenue.org. †Player quotes courtesy of www.hawaiiathletics.com.
†Photos courtesy of Hawai‘i Athletics
Cover & Feature Story Photography by Brian Suda
There are so many ways that you can support UH students and programs.
Donor Ivanelle Hoe and Davis M.K. Kane, recipient of the Sakamoto-Hoe Scholarship
Charitable estate and income tax planning is a powerful “give back” because this planning can provide substantial financial and tax benefits to you and your family, while supporting UH. Our team at the University of Hawai‘i Foundation is committed to helping you discover the best charitable tax strategies to achieve all of your financial, tax and charitable giving goals. The University of Hawai‘i Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises private funds to support the University of Hawai‘i System. The mission of the University of Hawai‘i Foundation is to unite donors’ passions with the University of Hawai‘i’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawai‘i and our future generations. If you would like to learn how you can support UH students, programs, research and faculty, with your estate or highly appreciated assets, please contact us in confidence at:
By most reports, 62 is now the most common retirement age by far. Yet, many folks are adjusting to the poor economy and retiring later at 65 or older. Then there’s Norm Chow…
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been one year since we revived Generations Magazine and brought it back for you—our readers. Our goal continues to be to publish a resource magazine that is of great value to you, your families and friends. Please continue to share each issue with your neighbors and relatives, as everywhere I go I get requests for more copies. I know we are appreciated when we receive new subscribers each month—thank you.
In celebration of our first anniversary, we want to share a few happenings with you. First, by the time this issue is published, we will have a totally new Web site. Please visit us at www.generations808.com. Secondly, we will restart our Generations Magazine radio show on Oct 25th. On KNDI channel AM 1270, we will air “live” every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. The radio show is partnering with the state’s Executive Office on Aging and other county agencies to air important news and events. We will also have special guests, so tune in and call in with your questions.
As we wrap up this issue, I’d like to send out two big special mahalos to the magazine’s art director Wilson Angel and editorial consultant Aimee Harris. Without their hard work and diligence, Generations Magazine would not be the resource magazine that it is today. Thanks also go to our photographer Brian Suda, and Sherry Goya who handles our distribution and advertising sales. Many more thanks go to our contributing writers who offer their expertise and provide such real life and useful information. And lastly, to our advertisers—thank you! We cannot print without your confidence in us.
As always, please feel free to send us stories, events and pictures you’d like to see in the magazine.
My sincerest thanks to all of you for your support of our mature community!
Live Well!
Percy Ihara, Editor/Publisher
One year and counting… It’s hard to believe that it’s already been one year since we revived Generations Magazine and brought it back for you—our readers. Our goal continues to be to publish a resource magazine that is of great value to you, your families and friends. Please continue to share each issue with your…
“We believe that the future of HUOA is dependent upon our youth.” — Jane Serikaku
Jane Serikaku, HUOA Executive Director Norman Nakasone, HUOA President
When we first meet someone new in Hawai‘i, we often ask, “Where you wen’ grad?”, as it gives us an idea of where they grew up and a lot of times we know someone in common.
Likewise, Okinawans ask, “Are you Uchinanchu”? If yes, then the next question is, “What club do you belong to?”
Today, there are 49 active Okinawan clubs that make up The Hawai‘i United Okinawa Association (HUOA), a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote, perpetuate and preserve Okinawan culture. Its combined membership exceeds 40,000 people. The club to which someone belongs is often based on from which Okinawan city, town or village his/her family originated. Okinawan immigrants who settled in Hawai‘i recreated their village communities using names like shi (city), cho (town), son (village) and aza (ward/neighborhood). Today the clubs are known more by Shijinkai, Chojinkai, Sonjinkai and Azajinkai. The term jinkai literally means “peoples club or organization.”
Okinawans started immigrating to Hawai‘i in 1899. The then governor, Shigeru Narahara, allowed civil rights leader Kyuzo Toyama to recruit 26 men to work on Hawai‘i’s ‘Ewa plantations.
From 1900 –1907, open immigration brought thousands of workers who were hoping for a better life to the plantations. Plantation work was hard and demeaning — 10-hour days, 6 days a week under the brutal sun. Okinawans also endured double discrimination from both the local population and their fellow Japanese workers who treated them as second-class citizens. At the peak, some 1,700 Okinawan immigrants had settled in Hawai‘i.
The Hawai‘i Okinawa Center (HOC) Gallery is situated at the Yeiko and Kameko Higa Building at the HOC. Visitors and researchers are welcomed to browse at the displays of traditional Okinawan crafts: lacquer ware, pottery, doll-making and unique fabrics; as well as artifacts from the early-immigrant plantation days, and a collection of rocks bearing names of cities, towns and villages in Okinawa from where they were sent. Resource and reference materials, written in Japanese and English, are also available for use at the gallery. For information, call 676-5400 or visit online at huoa.org.
Chimu’ubii, or remembrance, is an important value within the Okinawan community. With each passing decade, the paths on which Okinawans in Hawai‘i traveled become increasingly distant. The homeland and villages are far away. And many customs and traditions have faded. Yet, these are the cultural traits that helped the Okinawan’s adopt Hawai‘i as home, assimi-late to American society and provide for their families. Hawai‘i’s vibrant Okinawan clubs play an important role in preserving Okinawan culture and its unique attributes.
In 1951, the clubs united to form the Hawai‘i Okinawa-Jin Rengo-Kai (United Okinawan Association of Hawai‘i) in order to provide relief for Okinawa after WWII. Through this local community effort, HUOA (name changed in 1995) became a major partner in the local Okinawan community. It focused on improvements in agriculture, public health, medical services, education and leadership training.
Nearly 30 years later, the HUOA built the Hawai‘i Okinawa Center in honor of its hard-working Issei (first generation forefathers), who persevered for the sake of future generations. The Center perpetuates the “Uchinanchu spirit.” It hosts regular performing art events and various cultural classes. But perhaps most importantly, it provides children and young adults opportunities to learn about their culture and to be part of the Okinawan community.
“We believe that the future of HUOA is dependent upon our youth,” says Jane Serikaku, HUOA Executive Director. As a retired educator of 30 years, she wanted to give young adults the chance to become totally immersed in the Okinawan culture, history and its people. As such, she created a Young Leadership Study Tour to Okinawa, which was patterned after the 1980 Leadership Tour offered by the Okinawan Government. Many participants returned excited and became leaders of their own club and/or became leaders of HUOA.
Jane has also been the HUOA coordinator for the Okinawa-Hawai‘i High School Student Exchange program for the past 21 years. “In the Exchange Program, 25 Okinawan students arrive in Hawai‘i in March and experience a two-week home stay with families and attend school with our students,” Jane explains. “In exchange, our Hawai‘i students engage in a two-week home stay experience in Okinawa in June.”
As a nonprofit, the Hawai‘i Okinawa Center has a very small staff. Its activities, events and services are mostly supported by volunteers.“We are extremely appreciative of the many volunteers who spend their days at our Center working to keep our Takakura Garden and Issei Garden well manicured and beautiful,” Jane says.
She notes that additional volunteers maintain the library of treasured books, offer translation services, help with family history research, assist in the office or fundraise at craft fairs. “We hope that this love for the Hawai‘i Okinawa Center will continue in the years to come,” Jane says, “and that more people will volunteer to take good care of their ‘home away from home.’”
In the near future, the HUOA is looking to expand. “We have our eyes set on the land just across the street,” Jane says. “We’d like to build a Hawai‘i Okinawa Plaza as a means of financially supporting the Hawai‘i Okinawa Center for future generations.”
Special thanks HUOA member club Hui O Laulima for use of its book, Chimugukuru, as reference source for this article.
The Local Okinawa Families That Built Hawai‘i
Herbert Shimabukuro and son Chris
From Kaua‘i to the Court House
Choyu Shimabukuro grew up in Haneji, Okinawa, an area outside of Nago. He later immigrated to Wahiawa¯, Kaua‘i. Choyu, which means long courage, passed on the Okinawan values of hard work to his son Herbert. As such, Herbert moved to O‘ahu and attended Farrington High School and The University of Hawai‘i. He later attended law school at George Washington University in Washington D.C. His career in law and as a judge spanned some 40-plus years.
Herbert’s belonged to the Haneji Club for more than 50 years. He served as President for one year in 1987 and then for a second term from 2001-2010. Over the years, the club has offered Herbert and his family wonderful fellowship.
His son, Chris, has fond memories of attending many of the club’s activities, including the Annual Picnic, volunteering at the Okinawan festival, and playing on softball and volleyball leagues. Chris says that he appreciates how the club has given him a sense of identity.
Chris is now a Vice President of the HUOA and has chaired the organization’s homeless Community Outreach Picnic and co-chaired the Aloha Aina Earth Day recycling event. He is also the Development Director at ‘Iolani School, one of the finest private institutions in the nation.
Cyrus Tamashiro and his mother Louise
From Hilo to Kalihi
In 1941, immigrants Chogen and Yoshiko Tamashiro opened the first Tamashiro Market in Hilo, Hawai‘i. It was a small store specializing in fresh pork from livestock farmed by the Tamashiro family. On April 1, 1946, a tsunami struck and demolished most of Hilo’s business district, including the family’s store. Chogen move the business to O‘ahu to its current location on North King Street.
The Tamashiro’s older son, Walter Hajime, took over the operation in 1954. He built the business by specializing in seafood. He started with a few pieces of ‘opelu, then a whole aku (skipjack tuna). The few pieces of fish grew to tubs of fish, larger fish and dozens of varieties. Brother Johnny Tamashiro and brother-in-law Larry Konishi joined Walter in 1962, and together they expanded the Market’s reputation as the home of the finest seafood. In fact, Tamashiro Market was one of the first retailers to sell poke on a large scale and has offered more than 30 preparations since the 1970s. Today, Walter’s sons Cyrus, Guy and Sean continue the family business.
The Tamashiro family has been involved with their Okinawan Nago Club many years, as well as fundraising of the Okinawan Cultural Center. In 2012, Cyrus will become the President of the Hawai‘i United Okinawan Association.
Goro Arakawa and son David
Arakawa Store
In 1904, Goro Arakawa was one of the earliest plantation workers’ to work on Hawai‘i’s Ewa plain. During The Great Strike of 1909, he empathized with the workers demands for higher wages and better standard of living. To help the community, he partnered with Mr. Tamanaha to open the Arakawa Store in 1912.
Goro was one of 9 children—5 boys and 4 girls—who worked at the family store. Goro was chosen to attend New York University to study retailing and marketing. Seeing that his siblings worked long, hard hours at the store, he was pressed to study hard for the family. When Goro returned to Hawai‘i, he made the Arakawa Store one of the first retailers to accept credit cards in the state of Hawai‘i.
In the late 1980s, Goro became involved with the Hawai‘i United Okinawan Association when the Arakawa family was approached about fundraising for the Okinawan Cultural Center.
Goro was also the spark plug for the founding of the Waipahu Plantation Village, an outdoor replica of a Hawai‘i sugar plantation village.
Goro’s son, David, carries on the family Okinawan tradition of giving back to the community. As a past HUOA President and former Prosecuting Attorney, David is now the President of the United Japanese Society of Hawai‘i, the umbrella of all the Japanese associations.
Cover & Feature Story Photography by Brian Suda “We believe that the future of HUOA is dependent upon our youth.” — Jane Serikaku When we first meet someone new in Hawai‘i, we often ask, “Where you wen’ grad?”, as it gives us an idea of where they grew up and a lot of times we know…
One of the major features of head coaching in college football is the high turnover rate for jobs. College coaches routinely change jobs, rarely staying at a school for more than a decade. Yet Chow remained with BYU for nearly three decades. “I stayed at BYU because my wife Diane and I wanted to raise our children in a normal environment,” Chow explains. “Coaching doesn’t lead to a very normal lifestyle, as you know. We made a commitment that all four of our children would attend the same elementary and high schools.”
As first-year MWC members, the team finished the season 3–9 overall, 1–7 in the MWC to finish in a tie for ninth place.
