Stephen K. Yamashiro
Encyclopedia
Stephen Kei Yamashiro was an American
politician
and lawyer
who served as the former Mayor
of Hawaii County
from 1992 to 2000. Yamashiro served on the Hawaii County council from 1976 to 1990, including eleven years as the council's chairman. He then served as the Mayor of Hawaii
for two consecutive, four-year terms from 1992 until 2000.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin
has referred to Yamashiro as "among the most influential political leaders" in the history of the Big Island of Hawaii. More specifically, Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporter Hugh Clark has called Yamashiro, "probably … the most significant newsmaker on the Big Island
" during the final thirty years of the 20th century.
. He attended University Elementary School and graduated from the Punahou School
in 1959. In 1964, Yamashiro also graduated from the U.S. Army Artillery Officer's Candidate School, located at Fort Sill
in Oklahoma
.
He received a bachelor's degree
from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1965 and a law degree
from Willamette University College of Law
in Salem, Oregon
in 1969.
. Yamashiro began his career in Hawaii County government as a deputy corporation legal counsel for Hawaii County. He was then employed by the Hawaii Public Employment Relations Board as a Hearings Officer.
Yamashiro was elected to the Hawaii County Council from 1976 to 1990. He served as the chairman of the county council simultaneously for eleven of those years .
died in office on April 12, 1990. Akana's passing necessitated a special election to fill the remainder of Akana's unexpired term. Yamashiro left the council and announced his candidacy for Mayor of Hawaii County. Yamshiro was defeated in the 1990 special election by Lorraine Inouye, who won the election by just 76 votes.
Two years later, Yamashiro was elected Mayor of Hawaii County in 1992 in a rematch against incumbent Mayor Lorraine Inouye. He also defeated Russell Kokubun, who had also served on the county council, in the 1992 mayoral election. Though rivals in the election, Kokuban became deputy planning director for several years during Yamashiro's tenure as mayor.
He was inaugurated into office on December 7, 1992. Yamashiro was re-elected to a second, four-year term in 1996, defeating challenger Keiko Bonk
of the Green Party by a slimmer than expected margin of 3,148 votes.
Yamashiro came into office facing major economic challenges for the Big Island of Hawaii. The island's once thriving sugar industry
had declined, causing the loss of agricultural jobs. The last major sugar plantation closed on the island closed during the 1990s. Yamashiro, a strong proponent of development, pushed for the rapid development of resorts and other tourism infrastructure
in South Kohala and North Kona to replace jobs lost in the sugar industry.
Yamshiro is credited with introducing the 100% Kona coffee
emblem
and logo
now widely used by Kona Coffee producers
on the Big Island
. He expanded the tourism industry between Japan
and the Big Island
of Hawaii. Yamashiro spearheaded efforts to recruit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
to open an office and international service at Kona International Airport
. He also successfully lobbied for nonstop, international flights between Kona and Narita International Airport
by Japan Airlines
.
He also considered an advocate for the Big Island of Hawaii's agricultural industry, the University of Hawaii and the island's film industry.
In 2000, Yamashiro could not seek re-election due to term limits. He was succeeded by Harry Kim
in December 2000. Yamashiro left Hawaii County with a budget surplus.
Governor
Linda Lingle
appointed Yamashiro to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Lingle later reappointed Yamashiro to a second, four-year term on the tourism authority. He served as the chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority's budget committee.Additionally, the Western United Life Assurance Company hired him as project manager to promote its planned residential development in Hilo.
Yamashiro died from pneumonia
at Hilo Medical Center in Hilo, Hawaii, on May 24, 2011 aged 69. He was survived by his wife, Della E. Allison.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who served as the former Mayor
Mayor of Hawaii
The Mayor of Hawaii is the chief executive officer of the County of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii. He or she has municipal jurisdiction over the Big Island of Hawaii. The current mayor is Billy Kenoi...
of Hawaii County
Hawaii County, Hawaii
Hawaii County is a county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coterminous with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from the state as a whole. As of the 2010 Census the population was 185,079. The county seat is Hilo. There are no...
from 1992 to 2000. Yamashiro served on the Hawaii County council from 1976 to 1990, including eleven years as the council's chairman. He then served as the Mayor of Hawaii
Mayor of Hawaii
The Mayor of Hawaii is the chief executive officer of the County of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii. He or she has municipal jurisdiction over the Big Island of Hawaii. The current mayor is Billy Kenoi...
for two consecutive, four-year terms from 1992 until 2000.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii...
has referred to Yamashiro as "among the most influential political leaders" in the history of the Big Island of Hawaii. More specifically, Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporter Hugh Clark has called Yamashiro, "probably … the most significant newsmaker on the Big Island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
" during the final thirty years of the 20th century.
Early years
Yamashiro was born on July 15, 1941, in Honolulu, HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He attended University Elementary School and graduated from the Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
in 1959. In 1964, Yamashiro also graduated from the U.S. Army Artillery Officer's Candidate School, located at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
He received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1965 and a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law is a private law school located in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1842, Willamette University is the oldest university in the Western United States...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
in 1969.
Political career
Yamashiro worked as the Hawaii State Deputy Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
. Yamashiro began his career in Hawaii County government as a deputy corporation legal counsel for Hawaii County. He was then employed by the Hawaii Public Employment Relations Board as a Hearings Officer.
Yamashiro was elected to the Hawaii County Council from 1976 to 1990. He served as the chairman of the county council simultaneously for eleven of those years .
Mayor of Hawaii County
Former Mayor of Hawaii Bernard AkanaBernard Akana
Bernard Akana was an American engineer and politician. He served as the Mayor of Hawaii County from 1988 until his death on April 12, 1990.Akana worked for the Hawaii Electric Light Company as a design planner before his retirement...
died in office on April 12, 1990. Akana's passing necessitated a special election to fill the remainder of Akana's unexpired term. Yamashiro left the council and announced his candidacy for Mayor of Hawaii County. Yamshiro was defeated in the 1990 special election by Lorraine Inouye, who won the election by just 76 votes.
Two years later, Yamashiro was elected Mayor of Hawaii County in 1992 in a rematch against incumbent Mayor Lorraine Inouye. He also defeated Russell Kokubun, who had also served on the county council, in the 1992 mayoral election. Though rivals in the election, Kokuban became deputy planning director for several years during Yamashiro's tenure as mayor.
He was inaugurated into office on December 7, 1992. Yamashiro was re-elected to a second, four-year term in 1996, defeating challenger Keiko Bonk
Keiko Bonk
Keiko Cecilia Bonk is a Hawaiin American activist, artist, musician and politician.-Life:Born July 13, 1954 in Honolulu, her mother was Fumie Matsuoka and father was William Bonk, an archeologist who died in 2008...
of the Green Party by a slimmer than expected margin of 3,148 votes.
Yamashiro came into office facing major economic challenges for the Big Island of Hawaii. The island's once thriving sugar industry
Sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii by its first inhabitants in approximately 600 AD and was observed by Captain Cook upon arrival in the islands in 1778. Sugar quickly turned into a big business and generated rapid population growth in the islands with 337,000 people immigrating over the span of a...
had declined, causing the loss of agricultural jobs. The last major sugar plantation closed on the island closed during the 1990s. Yamashiro, a strong proponent of development, pushed for the rapid development of resorts and other tourism infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
in South Kohala and North Kona to replace jobs lost in the sugar industry.
Yamshiro is credited with introducing the 100% Kona coffee
Kona coffee
Kona coffee is the market name for coffee cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be described as "Kona"...
emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
and logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
now widely used by Kona Coffee producers
Coffee production in Hawaii
The only state in the United States of America able to grow coffee plants commercially is Hawaii. However, it is not the only coffee grown on U.S. soil; for example, Puerto Rico has had a coffee industry for some time, although it is not a state but a U.S. territory. Ramiro L...
on the Big Island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. He expanded the tourism industry between Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the Big Island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
of Hawaii. Yamashiro spearheaded efforts to recruit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
to open an office and international service at Kona International Airport
Kona International Airport
Kona International Airport at Keāhole is an airport on the Island of Hawaii, in Kalaoa CDP, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The airport serves leeward, or Western Hawaii island, including the town of Kailua-Kona and the major resorts of the North Kona and South Kohala districts.- History...
. He also successfully lobbied for nonstop, international flights between Kona and Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
by Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
.
He also considered an advocate for the Big Island of Hawaii's agricultural industry, the University of Hawaii and the island's film industry.
In 2000, Yamashiro could not seek re-election due to term limits. He was succeeded by Harry Kim
Harry Kim (politician)
Harry Kim is a former mayor of Hawaii County, Hawaii. Hawaii County is the government of Hawaii island, known as the Big Island. He was elected in 2000, and served until 2008.- Life :...
in December 2000. Yamashiro left Hawaii County with a budget surplus.
Post-Mayoral career
RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Governor
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
appointed Yamashiro to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Lingle later reappointed Yamashiro to a second, four-year term on the tourism authority. He served as the chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority's budget committee.Additionally, the Western United Life Assurance Company hired him as project manager to promote its planned residential development in Hilo.
Yamashiro died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at Hilo Medical Center in Hilo, Hawaii, on May 24, 2011 aged 69. He was survived by his wife, Della E. Allison.