1
Learn about and eat Hawaii's nature at Kualoa Ranch

A sustainable way of life taught by Hawaii's original landscape

Kualoa Ranch, with its vast grounds featuring both mountains and valleys, is known as a major activity spot where you can enjoy experiencing nature through horseback riding, movie tours, and more. And there is something else: activities to preserve the traditional Hawaiian landscape, lifestyle, and culture have been ongoing here for a long time.
It is because of the mountain-building efforts to protect and nurture native Hawaiian plants and animals that clean water can flow and kalo (taro) fields can be cultivated, and the land can be fertile and fruit trees can bear fruit.
This is likely because the pride in this land being a place associated with royalty, and the gratitude for the many blessings it provides, have been passed down.

Tours have been started to allow tourists to experience these Malama initiatives at Kualoa Ranch. These include the "Malama Experience Tour," where you can work together in the kalo (taro) paddies, and the "Aloha Aina Tour," where you can tour the park while learning about Hawaiian crops and marine products.

The food you see on the tours is actually harvested and is currently very popular in Hawaii as "Kualoa Grown." You can buy it at the market near the visitor center. Everything from fresh produce like vegetables, fruits, meat, and seafood to processed goods like jams and chocolates. The products from this land are so precious and delicious that local people line up to buy them.

Kualoa Ranch

• 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy. Kaneohe, HI 96744 MAP
• 50 minutes by car from Waikiki
• Daily 7:30-18:00
• Closed on Christmas and New Year's Day
• 808-237-7321

2
Find the latest items at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market

Focus on eco-friendly handmade products from Hawaii.

The presence of farmers markets that support local farmers has changed the mindset of people in Hawaii, who rely on imports for almost everything. Especially in the last few years, eco-conscious processors and producers have also joined in, and these markets are bustling as places where people can see, touch, and interact with the creators of many Hawaii-made products.

Lani's General Store https://lanisgeneralstore.com
is an apparel brand from Hawaii. They keep alive classic aloha shirts and "palaka," the work shirts once worn by people working on sugarcane plantations.

They are involved in every step of the process, from selecting fabrics to design and sewing. Not wanting to waste the fabric scraps that inevitably result from this work, they started making hats by combining the scraps, which became a huge hit. These foldable aloha-print hats are a byproduct born from preserving Hawaiian culture.

It has been one year since Mika Hawaii https://www.mikahawaii.com
, which collects shells and coral found on Hawaii's beaches, cleans them, and creates and sells jewelry and accessories that make the most of the materials, began setting up shop at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market. Every week, various people visit, pick up the pieces, and talk about nature, such as Hawaii's oceans and mountains.

They make wall decorations out of heart-shaped coral, and turn fragments of "cone shells" and "miter shells" into hibiscus-shaped earrings. Everything is full of ideas and tropical. Her works, which reflect her belief that imperfect natural objects are beautiful and precious, revive shell fragments and driftwood, possessing a warmth that makes nature feel at home in daily life.

Both shops do not have physical storefronts, but by setting up at farmers markets, they meet many people and serve as a force that energizes Hawaii.

Kakaako Farmers Market

• 919 Ala Moana Blvd. & 210 Ward Ave. Honolulu, HI 96814 MAP
• 10 minutes by car from Waikiki
• Every Saturday 8:00-12:00
• 808-388-9696

3
For sustainable souvenirs, look to Kokua General Store

A low-waste lifestyle store that fits the times.

"Kokua" is a Hawaiian word meaning cooperation or helping one another, and it is an important term alongside "malama." Jack Johnson, a musician from the North Shore, established the Kokua Hawaii Foundation to support environmental conservation and the improvement of children's education in Hawaii, where he was born and raised, through learning in nature. As part of this initiative, he purchased land in Haleiwa and began clearing it for farming. On the first Saturday of every month, there is farm work that anyone can join, where you can experience volunteering alongside locals, such as weeding and planting trees.

Located on the same premises is the Kokua General Store. The spacious shop is stocked with everything from refillable skincare, shampoo, and detergents to laundry goods, reusable beeswax wraps, containers, and original products aimed at being plastic-free. Every item is sustainable, combining functionality with style, and many are things you won't find anywhere else, with most being made in Hawaii.

They also team up with local collectors to sell vintage items like aloha shirts and muumuus, as well as old records and books. It is a wonderful feeling to know that the Hawaiian souvenirs you bring back to Japan are helping the planet, and the recipients will surely feel an even deeper love for Hawaii upon receiving such a unique gift.

Kokua General Store

• 66-249 Kamehameha Hwy. Haleiwa, HI 96712 MAP
• 45 minutes by car from Waikiki
• 11:00-15:00 (Tue-Fri), 10:00-15:00 (Sat)
• Closed Sundays and Mondays
• 808-744-5222

4
How to enjoy Diamond Head, now by reservation only

The best time to visit is the two hours before sunset!

Diamond Head State Monument, where you can view the panorama of Oahu's "South Shore" from Waikiki, introduced an online reservation system in the spring of 2022, and as of now (2025), reservations can be made starting 30 days before your visit date. While it may feel a bit troublesome, this is done to reduce visitor congestion and protect the environment, and when you actually visit, you will realize that because the number of people is regulated, it is easier to walk and enjoy the scenery.

Diamond Head is a 232m-high mountain formed by a volcanic eruption about 300,000 years ago, with a 1.1km trail course. The paved walkway has been improved to prevent erosion, and new signs with arrows indicating the direction of travel have been installed near the summit to help avoid crowding.

Reservations are in two-hour blocks. We recommend the final slot from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. At this time, the breeze picks up and it cools down, making it much easier to walk. Also, when you climb Diamond Head, you might see rainbows over the mountains and valleys to the north. Of course, once you reach the summit, you will be enchanted by the view of Waikiki and downtown Honolulu enveloped in the atmosphere before sunset. It is about a 30-minute hike one way, but climbing Diamond Head is highly satisfying. Handrails are also provided, so people of all ages can enjoy it. Please try visiting during the evening hours.

Diamond Head State Monument

• 4182-4190 Diamond Head Rd. Honolulu, HI 96816 MAP
• 10 minutes by car from Waikiki
• Daily 6:00-18:00
• Closed on Christmas and New Year's Day
• Admission fee: $5 per person for pedestrians
• 808-587-0300
• Online reservation site https://gostateparks.hawaii.gov/diamondhead/about