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President's Message

Aloha!

I’m honored to have been afforded the opportunity to serve my fellow chamber members and pledge to continue working vigilantly to make Hawai‘i Island a great place to do business while upholding the values of kahiau and okage sama de.  If there has been anything constant about 2022, it’s change. The past year has by no means been easy for most of us, but there’s often wonderful things on the horizon brought about by change. I hope our chamber, including myself, can help all our members embrace change and pivot accordingly.

We would like to thank all our members for their support of our chamber!  We value and appreciate their continued participation as our activities and programs have had to change over the past few years – from Zoom meetings, to “drive-up, pick-up” Goji Kara, and an online auction for A Taste of Hilo.  As we ease back into in-person programs and activities, we look forward to being able to reconnect with all of you and the community at large once again!

JCCIH has always provided opportunities to network with other members, learn about business issues and initiatives, and help to perpetuate the Japanese culture in our community.  We invite members to join one or more of our committees to share their enthusiasm or expertise.  We welcome those interested in membership to join us and help us make Hawaiʻi Island a better place to live, work, and do business!

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!

Toby B. Taniguchi
President, 2022-2023
Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawai
ʻi

Officers & Directors

Executive Officers lead JCCIH efforts to advance local business interests. The Board of Directors is the principal governing and policymaking body of the Chamber. The Board is as diverse as its membership and local business community, with more than 30 corporate and small business leaders from various sectors.

Executive Officers

President
Toby B. Taniguchi
KTA Super Stores

1st Vice President
Garth Yamanaka
G&H Appraisals

2nd Vice President
Kaʻiu Kimura
ʻImiloa Astronomy Center

3rd Vice President
Mitchell Dodo
Dodo Mortuary, Inc. & Crematory

Treasurer
Susie Dill
Hawaiʻi Community College

Auditor
Ivan I. Nakano

Japanese Secretary
Naomi Menor
Naomi’s World Travel Service

Immediate Past President
Lincoln S.T. Ashida
Torkildson Katz, A Law Corporation

Board of Directors

ONE-YEAR DIRECTORS
(Term expires 6/30/23)
Jon Arizumi – Hawaiian Electric
Tommy Goya – JCCIH Past President
Janice Ikeda – Vibrant Hawaiʻi
Josie Kiyan – Hawaiian Electric
Phoebe Lambeth – JCCIH Past President
Dwayne Mukai – Mukai Investment Group, LLC
Arthur Taniguchi – Honorary Consul General of Japan at Hilo
Gina Tanouye – Allstate Insurance – Speegle Agency, LLC
Stephen N. Ueda – Suisan Company Ltd.
Jere Usui – JCCIH Past President
TWO-YEAR DIRECTORS
(Term expires 6/30/24)
Dan Brinkman – Hilo Medical Center
Dean Fuke – HMSA
Barbara Hastings – Hastings & Pleadwell
Ryan Kadota – Kadota Liquor
Yuko Kakazu – Subaru Telescope
Randy Kurohara – Creative Arts Hawaiʻi
Amanda Lee – Hawaiian Electric
James “Kimo” Lee – W.H. Shipman, Ltd.
Joy Madriaga – Hawaiʻi Petroleum, Inc.
Donn S. Mende – HFS Federal Credit Union
Allan Onishi – L.H. Gamble Company, Ltd.
Kimberly Pua – Wesley R. Segawa & Associates
Joseph F. Skruch
Rachel Solemsaas – Hawaiʻi Community College
Nimr Tamimi – Engineering Partners
James Tyrin – Business Insurance Services, Inc.
THREE-YEAR DIRECTORS
(Term expires 6/30/25)
Renae Akau – Kamehameha School
Russell M. Arikawa – Ginoza Realthy, Inc.
Ross Birch – Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau
Keene Fujinaka – Bank of Hawaii
Charlene Iboshi
Michael Kaleikini – Puna Geothermal Venture
Michael Miyahira – Business Strategies
Marcia Sakai
Audrey Takamine – Takemine Construction, Inc.
Jasmine Tamanaha – Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.

Past Presidents

1951 – Dr. Sadaichi Kasamoto
1952 – Dr. Robert Miyamoto
1953 – James M. Hirano
1954 – Dr. Ernest M. Kuwahara
1955 – Richard M. Fujie
1956 – Norio Yamauchi
1957 – Richard R. Taniguchi
1958 – Tamotsu Aoki
1959 – Tom T. Okino
1960 – Susumi Yamashita
1961 – Teruo Togashi
1962 – Yoneichi Okamoto
1963 – Masaichi Uemura
1964 – Charles K. Skaguchi
1965 – Rex Y. Matsuno
1966 – Sidney H. Kusumoto
1967 – Tadashi Suzuki
1968 – Robert M. Yamada
1969 – David S. Ikawa
1970 – Shiro Murashige
1971 – Baron Ebesugawa
1972 – Tomoo Okuyama
1973 – Albert Nishimura
1974 – Masasahi Chiba
1975 – Jitsuo Niwao
1976 – Larry Tanimoto
1977 – Ted Sasamura
1978 – Stanley Abe
1979 – Tony Taniguchi
1980 – Benjamin Masutomi
1981-1982 – Minoru Shintani
1982-1983 – Roland Higashi
1983-1984 – Donald Yamada
1984-1985 – Tsuneo Akiyama
1985-1986 – Harold Ashida
1986-1987 – Larry Isemoto
1987-1988 – Yasuo Kuwaye
1988-1989 – Herbert Segawa
1989-1990 – Clifton Tsuji
1990-1991 – Thomas Hirano
1991-1992 – Glenn Hashimoto
1992-1993 – Yukio Takeya
1993-1994 – Rodney Oshiro
1994-1995 – Michael Ginoza
1995-1996 – Robert Bethea
1996-1997 – Keith Ideue
1997-1998 – Thomas Goya
1998-1999 – Michael Miyahira
1999-2000 – Janice Higashi
2000-2001 – Arthur Taniguchi
2001-2002 – Barry T. Mizuno
2002-2003 – Jere Usui
2003-2004 – Barry Taniguchi
2004-2005 – Ivan Nakano
2005-2006 – Dwayne Mukai
2006-2007 – Phoebe Lambeth
2007-2008 – Phoebe Lambeth
2008-2009 – Eugene Nishimura
2009-2010 – Allan Onishi
2010-2011 – Randall M. Kurohara
2011-2012 – Michael Kaleikini
2012-2013 – Jon J. Arizumi
2013-2014 – Carol A. VanCamp
2014-2015 – David A. Honma
2015-2016 – Darren H. Nishioka
2016-2017 – Russell M. Arikawa
2017-2018 – Audrey N. Takamine
2018-2019 – Stephen N. Ueda
2019-2020 – Donn S. Mende
2020-2021 – Ross Birch
2021-2022 – Lincoln S.T. Ashida
2022-2023 – Toby B. Taniguchi
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