But now Hawaii is falling short of meeting the demand for employees who speak both English and Japanese - so much so that some companies are recruiting in Japan, even though this means additional expense.
It's embarrassing to have such jobs going begging when the Hawaii economy is flat and people are complaining about lack of opportunities.
Besides, this is a state with a large population of people of Japanese ancestry, many of whom have had some training in the Japanese language. So have some people of other ethnic backgrounds.
Moreover, the University of Hawaii has long operated the largest program of instruction in Japanese of any American institution of higher education. And there are several smaller programs at other schools.
Yet the shortage exists. According to John Reed, president of DFS Hawaii, which operates both duty-free and non-duty-free stores , the problem has become acute in the last five years. DFS, which caters principally to Japanese-speakers, has advertised extensively for bilingual people but hasn't found enough to meet its needs. So it has resorted to recruiting in Japan.
This is another reminder that the job market is highly specialized. Without the required skills a job applicant usually has no chance. The demand here for more people who speak both Japanese and English presents an opportunity that should not be ignored.
School counselors should be advising students of this career choice. It is also a challenge to Hawaii's educational institutions to expand their Japanese-language programs.
That posture of reasonableness can only enhance his stature - and increase Beijing's frustration.
Until Congress and state legislatures establish caps for punitive-damage awards, lawyers will continue to encourage jurors to follow their punitive instincts.
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor