Larry Nakatsuka Dies at 85
Larry Nakatsuka, former reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, died on Sunday, January 1 at the age of 85.
A native of Hawai'i, he paved the way for Japanese Americans by becoming the first to work for an English-language newspaper in the state.
Soon after he joined the Star-Bulletin, Larry covered the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He pursued this assignment at great risk to himself at the time, being a Japanese man with questions for both the U.S. government and Japanese consulate.
He would be associated with the coverage of these events for the rest of his career and often shared recollections of his experiences.
Larry was also the first Japanese American to win the Nieman Fellowship from Harvard University and would later become press secretary to two Hawai'i governors.
In 2000, AAJA presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its 13th Annual National Convention in New York.
Larry's courage in journalism and influential career have and continue to inspire generations of Asian American journalists.
He is survived by sons, Paul and Roy, and daughter, Laura.
References
Aguiar, Eloise. (2006, Jan. 5). Larry Nakatsuka Covered 1941 Attack. The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved January 9, 2006, from http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060105/OBITS01/601050342/1187/NEWS
(2006, Jan. 5). Larry Nakatsuka Left Legacy of 'Firsts'. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved January 9, 2006, from http://starbulletin.com/2006/01/05/editorial/editorial02.html
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