Page 1 - MidWeek Leeward - August 24, 2022

SHE MEANS BUSINESS
Pearl City’s Daphne Okunaga is named a 2023 Hawai‘i State Teacher of the Year finalist.
SEE PAGE 2
PITCH PERFECT
‘Aiea Pirates win the Youth National Baseball Tournament 16U division. SEE PAGE 5
Teaching Love Of ‘Ukulele In ‘Aiea
FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 24, 2022
A PUBLICATION OF
AN EDITION OF
Roy and Kathy Sakuma have ‘ukulele studios across O‘ahu including in ‘Aiea. PHOTO COURTESY ROY SAKUMA ‘UKULELE STUDIOS
ABY STEPHANIE LOPES
fter more than five decades of teach- ing ‘ukulele, Roy Sakuma reflects, “I am really thankful I stayed with it.”
With the assistance of dedicated wife Kathy, Roy Sakuma ‘Ukulele Studios have opened schools across O‘ahu, including in ‘Aiea. It has garnered the reputation of be- ing Hawai‘i’s top ‘ukulele school, with past students such as Jake Shimabukuro, and has collected an abundance of accolades, includ- ing former Gov. Ben Cayetano proclaiming July 30 as Roy Sakuma Day.
The start of Sakuma’s ‘ukulele career and his relationship with his wife revolves around an internationally influential ‘ukulele player — Herb “Ohta-San” Ohta. In 1964, Roy heard Ohta-San’s hit song, Sushi, sought him out and fervently practiced ‘ukulele.
“Ohta-San taught me how to play,” recol- lects Roy. “Then he went on tour to Japan and asked me to teach his classes. I realized teaching was more fun than trying to be the best ‘ukulele player in the world.
“I had this passion to teach children, and I
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