The Kahana Designs Journal

The Journal

The Kahana Designs Journal

Stories of Hawaiian culture — the akua, the islands, the flowers, the food, and the language. Written from our studio in Kailua-Kona.

A Hawaiian plate lunch with rice, meat and a side
The Hawaiian Plate Lunch
The Hawaiian plate lunch is the islands' most beloved everyday meal — two scoops rice, mac salad, and a hot protein. Here's its history, what's on the plate, and where... Read more...
Brightly colored Hawaiian shave ice with syrup being poured over finely shaved ice, Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian Shave Ice, Explained
Hawaiian shave ice is the islands' favorite cool-down treat — here's what it is, how it's made, and how it differs from a snow cone. Read more...
New arrivals at Kahana Designs — folded apparel flat lay
New This Week at Kahana Designs — June 8
Fifty-seven brand-new Hawaiian coffee mugs landed this week — from glowing reef wildlife to volcanoes, florals, surf, and Polynesian culture. Find your morning brew companion straight from our Kailua-Kona studio. Read more...
Ripe red coffee cherries on the branch, like those grown on the Kona Coast of Hawaiʻi
Kona Coffee: From Cherry to Cup
Kona coffee grows on the volcanic slopes above our home in Kailua-Kona. Here is the story of Kona coffee, from cherry to cup — how it is grown, picked, and... Read more...
Three colorful Hawaiian poke bowls with fresh ahi, vegetables, and rice, Hawaiʻi
What Is Poke? A Guide to Hawaiʻi's Favorite Dish
What is poke? Learn the history, pronunciation, and classic styles of Hawaiʻi's favorite dish — from ancient fishermen to today's poke shops — from a Native Hawaiian–owned shop in Kailua-Kona. Read more...
Overhead view of a fresh poke bowl with chopsticks, a beloved Hawaiian food, Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian Foods You Have to Try
From poke and kalua pig to malasadas and shave ice, this guide to Hawaiian food covers the iconic dishes you have to try on your next trip to the islands. Read more...
Satellite view of the main Hawaiian Islands chain
Which Hawaiian Island Should You Visit?
Trying to decide which Hawaiian island to visit? A friendly, island-by-island guide to Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and the Big Island to help you find your perfect fit. Read more...
Lava erupting from Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi
The Big Island in 5 Days: Volcanoes to Beaches
A 5-day Big Island itinerary from active volcanoes to black- and green-sand beaches, plus Kona coffee, Mauna Kea stargazing, and tips from our Native Hawaiian–owned studio. Read more...
Kalalau Valley and the Nā Pali sea cliffs of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
Kauaʻi for First-Timers: The Garden Isle Guide
A Kauaʻi travel guide for first-timers: the best beaches, hikes, towns, and tips for visiting the Garden Isle, Hawaiʻi's oldest and greenest island. Read more...
New arrivals at Kahana Designs — folded apparel flat lay
New This Week at Kahana Designs — June 1
Dozens of fresh Hawaiian designs dropped this week — new island tees across every theme, plus a big wave of digital oil-painting posters spanning beaches, wildlife, and akua. Browse the... Read more...
Oʻahu Travel Guide: Beaches, Hikes & Local Eats
A friendly Oʻahu travel guide to the island's best beaches, hikes, and local eats — from Waikīkī and the North Shore to Diamond Head and plate lunch. Read more...
15 Best Things to Do on Maui
Looking for the best things to do in Maui? Our island guide covers Haleakalā sunrises, the Road to Hāna, snorkeling, Lahaina, and more from a Native Hawaiian–owned studio. Read more...
Lono: Hawaiian god of peace, rain, and the Makahiki harvest
Meet Lono — the Hawaiian akua of agriculture, rain, and peace whose return each year began the Makahiki, a four-month season of harvest, rest, and games. Plus a look at the new art and tees just added to the Kahana Designs shop. Read more...
A yellow hibiscus, the state flower of Hawaiʻi
Hibiscus: the state flower of Hawaiʻi and its story
The Hawaiian hibiscus is the flower the world pictures as the islands — but Hawaiʻi's true state flower is the rare native yellow maʻo hau hele. Read more...
Hawaiian Pele volcano goddess canvas wall art evoking the living landscape of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Kīlauea
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park: a guide to Kīlauea
A warm guide to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Kīlauea — Pele's home — covering what to see, when to go, and how to visit with respect. Read more...
Maui Road to Hāna canvas wall art showing a rainforest waterfall pouring into a still pool
The Road to Hāna: planning the perfect Maui drive
A calm, practical guide to the Road to Hāna — when to leave, the stops worth your time, bridge etiquette, and what waits past the town on Maui. Read more...
A man wearing a classic Hawaiian aloha shirt
Aloha Friday and the rise of the Hawaiian aloha shirt
How Aloha Friday gave the aloha shirt its weekly stage in Honolulu — and how a plantation-era garment became Hawaiʻi's enduring uniform. Read more...
Molten lava flowing over volcanic rock in Hawaiʻi
How the Hawaiian Islands formed: the Pacific hotspot
How the Hawaiian Islands formed: a Pacific hotspot, a slow-moving plate, and a chain of volcanoes stretching across the deep ocean floor. Read more...
Hawaiian monk seal swimming through clear blue water on a giclée canvas print
The Hawaiian monk seal: an endangered beach dweller
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the rarest mammals on earth — meet ʻīlioholoikauaua, the endangered beach dweller found nowhere else but Hawaiʻi. Read more...
The demigod Māui standing atop Haleakalā with a rope raised toward the rising sun, Hawaiian mythology canvas wall art
Māui the demigod: how he slowed the sun in Hawaiʻi
How the demigod Māui climbed Haleakalā at dawn and lassoed the sun to give Hawaiʻi longer days — the legend, the place, and what it means today. Read more...
Hula instruments illustrated on a black tee, a visual gateway to the history of hula and its sacred percussion
The history of hula: sacred rite to performance art
The history of hula reaches from sacred Hawaiian ritual to a living art form. Discover its mythic origins, kahiko and ʻauana styles, and revival. Read more...
Colorful Hawaiian flower lei
Common Hawaiian words you already know, and what they mean
A guided tour of common Hawaiian words — aloha, mahalo, ʻohana, pono, mana — what they really mean, and the worldview waiting underneath them. Read more...
Dramatic green sea cliffs in Hawaiʻi
Molokaʻi: the most Hawaiian island and how to visit
Molokaʻi is often called the most Hawaiian island. A slow look at Hālawa Valley, the world's tallest sea cliffs, Kalaupapa, and how to visit with respect. Read more...
The Nā Pali Coast sea cliffs on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
The Nā Pali Coast: Kauaʻi's wild and sacred sea cliffs
Explore the Nā Pali Coast — Kauaʻi's 17 miles of sacred sea cliffs, ancient valleys, and Hawaiian history along the Garden Isle's wild north shore. Read more...

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