For 43 years, The Hawaiʻi Herald newspaper has served the local Japanese community, connecting generations throughout Hawaiʻi and abroad. The company just announced it will publish its last issue in December due to dwindling revenue.
Fred Kinzaburo Makino founded the Japanese-language publication The Hawaii Hochi in 1912, which eventually led to the English-language Herald in 1980. Makino initially set out to unite Japanese communities on plantations.
"They were being used and abused for labor, and so he started the newspaper as a way to help, share and give more light to the new world that they were living in at that time," said Kristen Nemoto Jay, the editor of The Hawaiʻi Herald.
Fast forward to 2023, the publication is hoping to find a buyer in the eleventh hour — though she said it's a long shot.
"Someone who can help us to continue this legacy, moving the conversations forward as it's ever-evolving within our community," Jay said.
"Our last issue is, to be honest, it's nothing quite special, other than it's going to be our last," she added. "Our cover is going to be all of us on the cover, saying aloha to all of our subscribers and new readers, thanking them for letting us be a part of their lives for 43 years. This has just been such an honor and privilege to be able to do that."
If you have a testimonial about the value of the publication, you can send it by Wednesday to kristen.hawaiiherald@gmail.com.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Nov. 3, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
