Stacey Hayashi
Stacey T. Hayashi is a Hawaii-based serial entrepreneur and founder of the successful PainaGirl family of websites, which includes Hawaiian Wedding Shop. A former software engineer before starting her own companies, Stacey is one of the earliest pioneers in the development of internet-based businesses focused on the manufacturing and distribution of Hawaiian products, and brings a formidable set of planning and operational skills to both her technology-based businesses as well as the multitude of social and advocacy enterprises that she devotes her time to.
She is also a fashion designer, designing and manufacturing contemporary Hawaiian wedding dresses since 2002, but it was her interest in Japanese American and Hawaii culture that led to the development of a multimedia project celebrating the heroism and cultural significance of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and members of the Military Intelligence Service.
She is also a fashion designer, designing and manufacturing contemporary Hawaiian wedding dresses since 2002, but it was her interest in Japanese American and Hawaii culture that led to the development of a multimedia project celebrating the heroism and cultural significance of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and members of the Military Intelligence Service.
Her historically accurate manga Journey of Heroes, which she wrote and published in 2012, is internationally-acclaimed, garnering media attention in the US, Japan, Italy and France. In addition to her manga, she has executive produced two films (short narrative and documentary) about Herb Yanamura, Military Intelligence Service linguist, and the Battle of Okinawa, which screened at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 2015. She is currently screenwriter and executive producer for the unnamed 100th/442/MIS origins film project for the 442nd RCT Foundation.
Stacey is an expert on the 100th, 442nd, and MIS veterans, and has been a featured speaker at numerous events, book signings, and venues, among them: the 100th Infantry Battalion anniversary banquet, the Joint Memorial Service (100th/442nd/MIS) at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center (Maui), Seattle Nisei Veterans Memorial Hall for the Nisei Veterans Foundation, the Japanese American National Museum, Building 640 at the Presidio (MIS Museum part of the National Park Service), the Hawaii Army Museum, Bruyeres City Hall (France), Nagasaki University (Japan), the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, and Living History Day featured author at the Pacific Aviation Museum as well as many book signings at the Pacific Historic Sites Pearl Harbor Visitors Center.
Stacey and her work with the veterans, as well as her manga, Journey of Heroes, was also featured on the Travel Channel’s TV show, Booze Traveler, in the Fall of 2015. Stacey’s innovative approaches to making the story of the AJA vets accessible and relatable are fundamental in perpetuating their stories in younger generations.
Find Journey of Heroes at 442comicbook.com, Amazon, 442nd Veterans Clubhouse, Club 100, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Army Museum of Hawaii, Gecko Books & Comics, Kiss & Makeup by Alison Hayashi, Arizona Memorial (Pearl Harbor Historic Sites), Other Realms, Okinawan Center, Nisei Veterans Committee Hall (Seattle), Wing Luke Museum (Seattle), Nikkei Traditions (San Jose), Heritage Source (San Jose), Kinokuniya Bookstore (Los Angeles) and the Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles).
Stacey is an expert on the 100th, 442nd, and MIS veterans, and has been a featured speaker at numerous events, book signings, and venues, among them: the 100th Infantry Battalion anniversary banquet, the Joint Memorial Service (100th/442nd/MIS) at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center (Maui), Seattle Nisei Veterans Memorial Hall for the Nisei Veterans Foundation, the Japanese American National Museum, Building 640 at the Presidio (MIS Museum part of the National Park Service), the Hawaii Army Museum, Bruyeres City Hall (France), Nagasaki University (Japan), the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, and Living History Day featured author at the Pacific Aviation Museum as well as many book signings at the Pacific Historic Sites Pearl Harbor Visitors Center.
Stacey and her work with the veterans, as well as her manga, Journey of Heroes, was also featured on the Travel Channel’s TV show, Booze Traveler, in the Fall of 2015. Stacey’s innovative approaches to making the story of the AJA vets accessible and relatable are fundamental in perpetuating their stories in younger generations.
Find Journey of Heroes at 442comicbook.com, Amazon, 442nd Veterans Clubhouse, Club 100, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Army Museum of Hawaii, Gecko Books & Comics, Kiss & Makeup by Alison Hayashi, Arizona Memorial (Pearl Harbor Historic Sites), Other Realms, Okinawan Center, Nisei Veterans Committee Hall (Seattle), Wing Luke Museum (Seattle), Nikkei Traditions (San Jose), Heritage Source (San Jose), Kinokuniya Bookstore (Los Angeles) and the Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles).