Page 4 - MidWeek - April 21, 2021

4 MIDWEEK APRIL 21, 2021
HAWAI‘I’S FAVORITE MEDIA SURVEY By MidWeek staff If you could be a celebrity for a day, who would
you be and what would you do?
N Tattoo, Part Two
ot many people know this, but I have a fairly signif- icant tattoo. I originally got one for personal reasons way before it was a popular thing to do. After my dad
died in the early ’80s, I went to a tattoo “joint” in a seedy part of Wahiawā and had my upper arm tattooed. It was nothing overtly large, just meaningful to me.
The morning after getting it, I was making myself some breakfast and didn’t have a shirt on. My mom, who was orig- inally from Japan, saw my fresh tattoo and yelled, “Go take that off right now!” because, well, yakuza. Eventually, she came to accept it as it was a part of me, her firstborn son. Over the years due to keloid scarring, my tat started to distort and fade, and it looked like something that was done in prison with makeshift equipment.
KAY LARSEN
Wahiawā, Retired Social Worker
“Rachel Maddow, and I would schedule guests who would support wider voting opportunities.”
BEANZIE MAIAVA
‘Ewa Beach, Health Care Worker
“Vanna White, so I can travel, wear amazing gowns and be a millionaire for just turning letters.”
ANNA MARIE GALACGAC
Waipahu, Student
“I would be Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter, and visit multiple children’s hospitals.”
SUE KELLER
Kīlauea, Teacher
“I’d like to be Harry Styles, wearing Gucci and giving a free concert.”
A couple years ago on my 60th birthday, my family gifted me with something I’ve wanted for a long time: to cover the old tattoo. I researched for the right artist and found local tattoo legend Mike Higuchi at Banzai Tattoo. He’d been in this for a long time and early in his career lived in Japan for three years studying his craft. He’s “inked” many celebrities, MMA fighters, bikers, military and, really, people from all walks of life, now including a newspaper man.
Ron Nagasawa
Director of Content / Supplement Products
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Managing Editor
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A MINDFUL MOMENT
Alice Inoue
M Body Blah
any of us secretly wish we were big- ger, thinner, stronger, less wrinkled or somehow more attractive.
No matter how you feel about your looks and body, it’s the relationship you have with yourself that influences your experience of life. The judg- ments you have in regards to your appearance limit the depth to which you allow yourself to enjoy life’s experiences.
If this is you, practice something I call “Mirror Mindfulness.” When you look in the mirror for everything you notice you don’t like, praise some- thing you do like.
Open your awareness with intention. Life is for living, not for limiting.
alice@yourhappinessu.com
I opted for a half sleeve, which would cover my old tattoo. It also left me with the option to later do a full sleeve when I was inclined to do so. When you sit in a tattoo chair for hours, you really get to know the person sticking you pretty well. Mike and I became good friends. Besides, his mom is a fan of my column. His art is distinctive yet original, and he really hit the mark with mine, no pun intended. I was constantly complimented on my tattoo, especially by young people. Hey, as long as my wife liked it, that was all the approval I needed.
Last year, I decided I was going to complete the sleeve but then coronavirus happened. I didn’t think twice about it as, of course, our priorities changed drastically. It wasn’t until recently that I thought I’d give Mike a call. It was actually his birthday, an auspicious sign, and he invited me back to finish my tattoo journey. He wanted to do something special. It was great seeing him when I went in and he offered me a piece of his birthday cake. His mom made him one of her famous rum cakes. I was quite excited to see what he was going to do. His drawing incorporated our Nagasawa family “mon” — or crest — which I provided him from an embroi- dery my grandmother had done. When I sat down for what would be seven hours, Mike said he was going to give me a three-quarter sleeve, what the yakuzas do.
I then looked up and gave my mom a wink.
rnagasawa@midweek.com