For 43 years, the Hawai’i Herald informed and entertained the Japanese American community on the Hawaiian islands. On December 1, the paper published its last edition, succumbing to declining subscriptions and a difficult business environment.
Editor Kristen Nemoto Jay called the news “devastating” in an interview with Hawaii News Now. “You are talking about years of stories, writers, history, and culture.”
The Herald’s Japanese-language sister publication, Hawaii Hochi, also shuttered after being in business for 111 years.
“Being a part of the Herald ignited a pride for having Japanese heritage,” Herald staff writer Summer Nakanishi wrote in one of her last columns. “Beyond reconnecting with my Japanese heritage, I’m proud of the time I was able to spend at the Herald, and I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to help tell your stories.”
The headline of the last issue read “A Hui Hou,” until we meet again.
