Name on ballot:

Kanzo Nara

Running for:

State House – District 26

Political party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

www.kanzo4us.com/

Current occupation:

Information Technology

Age:

40

Previous job history:

Travel Industry (H.I.S Hawaii)

Previous elected office, if any:

No answer submitted

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii.

15 years experience as a local business owner, 10 years of experience with Hawaii, and Japan relations through Non Profit Organizations in Hawaii.

What is the most pressing issue facing residents in your district and how would you address the problem?

Rent Control. Have you noticed our Makiki & Tantalus Ohana is moving away? This is because rent and cost of living is increasing to rapidly. We can slow this by implementing rent control on residence, and CAM fees for commercial properties. Many states, and cities across the country has done this by limiting the increase amount for rent by the government. Inflation is inevitable but we can slow it so our wages may catch up in a reasonable time.

Rising inflation has significantly worsened Hawaii’s already high cost of living. What can be done at the state level to help Hawaii residents cope with high consumer prices?

I will slow the rate of inflation by introducing regulation on estimates created by service based business. We are a service based country, and every service starts by providing a estimate to a business, or the consumer. Have you ever received a estimate to clean your house, service you car, or fix your refrigerator? After your job is completed did you get a invoice that did not match your estimate, I assume you have. We can fic this by introducing new regulations to current laws, and increasing enforcement by agencies such as the DCCA. A estimate is a promise to the consumer and need be kept honorable.

Hawaii’s rising gasoline prices are among the highest in the nation. Should Hawaii lower or temporarily suspend state taxes on gasoline to help ease the pain at the pump?

The price of GAS is high because the demand is high, this cycle will never end until we decrease the demand. If we can implement a car-share program by company, by districts, and offer tax deductions for such programs we can consume less gas. Once we use less cars, and keep this program going our prices will decrease.

Do you support or oppose efforts to slow or limit the number of tourists to Hawaii? Please explain.

I support to increase the number of tourist to Hawaii, but with well protected gridlines for public safety. COVID-19 is now a part of our life, we need to learn how to live with it by treating as a part of our life. Once we accept this, periodic testing, hand washing, face covering will help keep visitors to Hawaii will feel safe.

Can Hawaii’s tourism-dependent economy be diversified, and, if so, what can state government do to support the effort?


We live in a service oriented society today. We do not make, grow or manufacture much today. The new focus must be put on Information Technology, and new platforms that provide a vital service to the public like “UBER” . The state can help grow entrepreneur’s, by offering subsidies to them. We need to realize how to grow new crops for Hawaii. I strongly believe our new crops will not come from the ground but will be online.

What is your plan to increase affordable housing in Hawaii, and to help the counties deal with homelessness?

To create a rent control system that will work for both the renters, and the property owners. One of the main issues we face is maintenance cost, and it’s increasing price. We need to cap this with a annual time period. Currently vendors can increase much of their cost on a monthly base, we need to stop this to slow the rate of increasing housing prices.

What would you propose to help protect Hawaii residents’ health during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic?

Just like the Polio Epidemic in 1952, we need to start with the schools. We will send in the DOH to assist our children, then copies, government agencies and so on. Get everyone tested and treated faster and periodically until we can have more data to make better choices for the future.

Hawaii isn’t likely to see a repeat of this year’s $2 billion revenue surplus which allowed higher-than-normal spending on state programs and projects. If elected, what will your top spending priorities be?

To increase the budget for the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA). I want to implement a program that will protect consumers better from daily services, and products. All commerce beings with a Estimate and then ends with an Invoice. To often the invoice dose not match the estimate, and we go along and make payment. This should not be the case, we need to have a platform for the DCCA so consumers can report these matters and businesses will treat the consumers with more respect.

What, if anything, should state government do in response to the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs Wade?

Women’s rights, and induvial privacy is vital to us in this century. We need to respect this anyway we can.

What should state government do to support and improve public education in Hawaii?

Provide better teaching tools to our teachers. Find and educate new teachers. Increase pay of teachers to they can continue to teach our children. Of course this will cost money, but what better place to spend our funds than our children’s future.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make local government more transparent to the public?

Stop publishing PDF documents to government websites. The content on these PDF’s need to be direct content on the website, and not a PDF. PDF is hard to read on smartphones that 82% of use for a preliminary search. We need to improve how we provide information to the public.

Do you support or oppose the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the Big Island and why?

No answer submitted

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

Kanzo Nara was born and raised in Japan and attended public school, making him fluent in English and Japanese. Kanzo came to Hawaii to study at Kapiolani Community College. He studied for seven years while working in the travel industry and earned an Associate of Arts Degree with a focus on business accounting.

After graduation he established a corporation servicing multilingual web marketing companies in Hawaii and the Pacific Rim with a focus on Japan, China, the US, and Korea. For the past 10 years he has worked across cultures to establish sister state relationships with Hokkaido, Japan and with the United Japanese Society of Hawaii 501(c)(3). Kanzo presents seminars and consults regularly with the Department of Business and Economic Development (DBEDT).

Kanzo strongly believes promoting local businesses will provide vital economic growth for our great state of Hawaii.