back to top   

Great food, tours, door prizes and fellowship provided the backdrop for an exciting Goji Kara hosted by Castle Resorts & Hotels and the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel staff on Oct. 5th. 

Linda Nako, Sales Manager at the hotel, and Lori Flores, Senior Director of Retail Sales for Castle, updated Chamber members and guests on the many improvements and changes that have occurred in recent months under a new owner.  In addition, two key staff members with international experience in the food and beverage industry have been hired - Chef Piet, and Dallas Ide, Food & Beverage Manager.  General Manager Daryle Kitamori was also on hand to meet and greet JCC&I members.

Flores introduced Castle's Corporate Membership program and encouraged Chamber members to join this free program and receive reduced room rates at all of their hotels and several additional benefits.  Chamber members unable to attend this event are encouraged to contact the hotel for more information about the program.

Chef Piet introduced some of the hotel's new menu items that feature products grown in the Hawaiian islands.  Among them were Kahua Ranch Kobe sliders, Molokai sweet potato with pork lau lau, and garlic and chili Kahuku shrimp.

Hotel upgrades and other changes will continue in the months ahead, with all aimed at attracting more overnight visitors to Hilo.  We want to wish them continued success in the future, and also express our appreciation for their hospitality.  

back to top 

What is in the name of bullet trains?

When you think of images of Japan, I can almost bet that there is at least one picture comes to your mind of its bullet trains, like the one passing by Mt. Fuji. Shinkansen, the super express, has been in operation since the year of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Tokaido Shinkansen, which connects Tokyo and Osaka, is probably one of the most used routes for travelers and the business people from Japan or other countries.

There are three groups of trains servicing in Tokaido Shinkansen, depending on how frequent the stops are. With Kodama, the echo, it takes 4 hours from Tokyo to Osaka, stopping at more than a dozen stations. This class represented the rapid service that enabled a round trip in one day, which was very significant at that time. Then comes along Hikari, the light, and of course light is much faster than the sound waves in Kodama. Then Nozomi, the hope, came along in the 1990s to offer even faster service - just two-and-a-half hours with only  five or so stops at stations along the way.

Right. Echo travels far. The light travels faster. Hope, its speed immeasurable, can prevail even in the dark. Did you notice these three words sound a little different from the modern day Japanese? Yes, these all are Yamato Kotoba, the original Japanese from ancient times. These names offer another example of traditional culture with advanced technologies, just like Subaru Telescope.

What is even more significant about the Shinkansen service is that there are no major accidents and  cancellation is rare. You can count on its safe operation and that you will reach your destination. For your comfort, just avoid the busy time of the commute. You may not be able to make your way through the crowd in the platforms.

According to the statistics, one Shinkansen train can carry 1300 passengers, and last year alone Tokaido Shinkansen line served 140 million people (think about all the Japanese people who used it once during that year!). More striking is the average delay quoted as 6/10 minutes and this includes the delay due to the typhoons or other disasters. Unless they are prompt in time, they cannot operate more than 336 trains a day, among 17 stations for Kodama, and four to six or so for Hikari/Nozomi.

Just like the airplanes in the United States, Sinkansen in Japan is vital for its industry. In the long run, business meetings can be replaced with skype communications to some extent. However, you wouldn't trade your vacation in beautiful places and exotic food with virtual tours. So, enjoy your trip and experience the Nozomi or Hikari or Kodama!  

back to top  

Two more Goji Kara events have been scheduled for the remainder of this calendar year, and each of them promise to be enlightening, entertaining and exciting.

The first Goji Kara will be hosted by 'Aha Punana Leo on Thursday, Nov. 17th from 5:15 to 7:30pm at the Nawahiokalani'opu'u Campus, located at 16-120 'Opukaha'ia St. in Kea'au.

More details will be forthcoming in an event flyer, but it will focus on showing how this organization is fulfilling its mission, which is:

The Punana Leo Movement grew out of a dream that there be reestablished throughout Hawai'i the mana of a living Hawaiian language from the depth of our origins.

The Punana Leo initiates, provides for and nurtures various Hawaiian Language environments, and we find our strength in our spirituality, love of our language, love of our people, love of our land, and love of knowledge. 

The last Goji Kara of this calendar year will be on Tuesday, Dec. 6th, from 5 to 7pm at Kama'aina Nissan on Kalanianaole Avenue in Hilo.  Attendees will learn about their latest vehicles and services.  Additional details will also be provided via an event flyer in the near future. 

Chamber members are encouraged to circle the dates of Nov. 17th and Dec. 6th for two more opportunities to learn more about Chamber businesses and organizations and to also have fun in networking with fellow members!  

 back to top 

Words to Live By.............

The following is an excerpt from the Japan Times about 97 year old author and physician, Shigeaki Hinohara:

Energy comes from feeling good, not eating well or sleeping a lot.

All people who live long share one thing in common: none are overweight.

Always plan ahead.

Share what you know.

Don't be crazy about amassing material things.

Life is filled with incidents.

Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do.

Contribute to society.

Tommy Goya says, "Reflect on these simple words of wisdom to live by.  You will become less self-centered and live a long and happy life."  

Don't Miss Our Holiday Party!

'Imiloa Astronomy Center will be the place to be on December 15 for JCCIH's annual holiday party. 

Sky Garden Restaurant will be presenting a fantastic buffet dinner.  This is a party not to be missed so keep an eye out for your invitation! 

Aloha Faculty Reception

October 19

Mark your calendars for the annual "Aloha Faculty Reception" for new, newly tenured and recently promoted faculty for UH Hilo and Hawai'i Community College. 

This event is sponsored by the Education Committees of  our JCCIH Chamber, the Hawai'i Island Chamber of Commerce, and Hui Ka Ua.  It will start at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at the main pavilion at Wailoa State Park.    

Join us in welcoming the Big Island's newest university faculty to the community! 

 back to top 

New Member Orientation!     

The JCCIH Membership & Social Committee held a new member orientation on September 15 at Encore Restaurant.  Over 20 members participated and were treated to a presentation by some of the chamber's long-standing members who shared information about the history of the chamber, the various committees and ways to get involved.    

 back to top 

Bunka no Hi Japanese Culture Day

November 19 at Sangha Hall 

.................................................................... 

Please mark your calendar and join the Japanese Community Association of Hawai'i (JCAH) at its biennial Bunka no Hi Japanese Culture Day celebration at Sangha Hall on Saturday, November 19th.   

To read more about this great event, please

click on the link below:    

When I accepted Chancellor Rose Tseng's appointment to the Mauna Kea Management Board (MKMB) in 2000, little did I know that it would lead to a commitment of what is now 11 years...and counting.

Like many members of the community, I was unaware of the management issues affecting Mauna Kea until the 1998 Legislative Auditor's Report was released. In that document, the Auditor took the University to task for its failure to protect the mountain's cultural and natural resources. The Auditor's Report prompted the UH Board of Regents to adopt the 2000 Master Plan, which called for the creation of the Office of Mauna Kea Management, MKMB and Kahu Ku Mauna Council under the administrative oversight of the UH-Hilo Chancellor.

We thus became part of a unique experiment in local, community-based management-so unique, in fact, that there were no good models for us to follow. We had to figure things out on our own, one step at a time. It took many long hours of discussion just to hammer out a mission statement, for example. After all, we (MKMB, OMKM and Kahu Ku Mauna) represented a cross-section of the Hawai'i Island community, including Hawaiian cultural practitioners, conservationists, astronomers, educators, land managers, and others.

The first couple of years were soul-searching times. The Master Plan identified the problems we had to address, but only provided guidelines when it came to actual processes and procedures. We often found ourselves asking, "How do we operate? How does the design review process work?" The key was that, in spite of our differences, no one walked away from the process. Slowly, we built trust and our collective vision became clearer.

We were extremely fortunate to have Judge Walter Heen as OMKM's first interim director during this early period. Judge Heen's wisdom, experience and credibility were invaluable as we struggled through our growing pains and began moving forward. Many positive things followed. Important scientific studies were undertaken. We now know a great deal about the life cycle of the once-mysterious Wekiu bug, for example, and, thanks to a series of archaeological surveys, we now know more about the mountain's cultural resources than ever before. This knowledge provides us with an accurate baseline to implement measures to protect these important resources.

The biggest undertaking for OMKM, MKMB and Kahu Ku Mauna was the development of a Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP). The CMP provides the basis for properly managing the mountain and its resources. It was a monumental undertaking, and a tremendous amount of credit is due to Interim OMKM Director Stephanie Nagata for her tireless efforts to coordinate the studies and complete the CMP in incredibly efficient fashion-all in addition to handling the day to day duties of managing the Science Reserve.

Today, I view the Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) as a test of how well we've done our jobs. In order to approve the CDUP, the land board had to agree with the management practices developed cooperatively by OMKM, MKMB and Kahu Ku Mauna.

As MKMB chair, I feel that we did our homework and it is a good, balanced plan that mitigates negative impacts as much as possible. The TMT is the first major project to be subjected to the current management regimen as it was designed to do. In the process, the project was reduced in physical size and other design modifications were made to the original proposal. The TMT has followed the guidelines set forth by the CMP and has reached out to the community for input. The contested case hearing on the TMT's CDUP has just concluded, and we await the hearing officer's decision by the end of this year or early next year.

Regardless of the outcome of the contested case hearing, I believe that the Mauna Kea management process is working and progress is being made. If not for the efforts Walter Heen in the early years and Stephanie Nagata following him, a lot of this would not have happened.

Mahalo!   

HawCC has been a beneficiary of A Taste of Hilo fundraiser, the annual signature event of the JCCIH.  We want to assure you that the funds received by the College are put to good use by the students, faculty and staff.

Through funds received from A Taste of Hilo, HawCC has been able to award student scholarships and monetary merit awards, purchase needed equipment/items for the campus, assist with faculty and staff development opportunities, aid students having financial difficulty, and most recently, allow for internationalization of the campus.

Last year the HawCC International Education Task Force offered $2,000 from the funds as a grant for faculty engagement in international professional development relevant to instruction, such as internationalizing the curriculum or pre-study abroad exploration.  Dr. Pam Scheffler, of the Tropical Forest Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management (TEAM) Program was the recipient.  She traveled to Zamorano, Honduras from May 17 to 25, 2011, to meet with faculty and staff about the possibility of initiating student exchange and/or education abroad possibilities between Escuela Agricola Panamericana (Zamorano University) and HawCC.   Zamorano University is the premier Latin American agricultural university and their motto of "Learning by Doing" is very similar to the teaching ethic of HawCC's TEAM program. 

Dr. Scheffler spent four days in meetings on the University campus and two days exploring nearby forests and protected areas.   "There are very good possibilities for initiating a summer study abroad program for HawCC students," she said. 

Dr. Scheffler went on to say "The University is willing to create a custom international education experience for our students and I feel that a 10-day program with most of the time spent in hands-on courses would be the most beneficial for our students.  I am hoping to bring the first students to Zamorano in Summer 2012."

Additionally, several faculty from Zamorano University are interested in collaborating to bring some of their students to the Big Island for a senior internship.  Dr. Scheffler is presently working to help arrange to bring an agribusiness student to Ka`u to work on the impact of coffee borer beetle in January 2012.

HawCC appreciates the generosity of the JCCIH for making it possible for our faculty and staff to experience globalization of our institution.  We look forward to actively participating in the upcoming A Taste of Hilo fundraiser that will benefit students, faculty and staff in so many ways.  

 back to top 

Looking back through the entitlement and permitting process of siting the world's next generation telescope on Mauna Kea, each milestone was met with enormous support from the JCCIH and the Hilo community - thank you once again. 

Contested Case Hearing Update
Earlier this year the Land Board unanimously approved a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) allowing TMT the opportunity to build its telescope on Mauna Kea.

Six project opponents objected to the issuance of the CDUP thus triggering a Contested Case Hearing. The University of Hawaii has spent several weeks during August and September in this quasi-judicial proceeding presenting its position that the permit issued to TMT satisfied each of the eight criteria of HAR 13-5-3 (C). The Contested Case Hearing, although sometimes slow and repetitive, provided TMT with the opportunity to show evidence that all requirements have been met.

On Friday, September 30 UH gave its closing arguments and Paul Aoki, the appointed Hearings Officer will now take all the exhibits and expert witness testimony under advisement and forward a recommendation to the State Land Board.  We anticipate that recommendation to be sometime late this year.

Next Steps for TMT
The TMT project and the Office of Mauna Kea Management's newly adopted Comprehensive Management Plan represent a new standard in the development of astronomy facilities on Mauna Kea. All of us affiliated with this next-generation telescope are deeply committed to doing the right thing to malama Mauna Kea.

TMT is preparing to showcase the project and partners during the upcoming APEC conference in Honolulu this November. We are looking forward to presenting  astronomy's next-generation telescope to this 21-member association of economies from the Asia-Pacific region.