Real Samurai
Kurt Matsumoto has a reputation for being “real samurai” — a phrase in Hawai‘i's local vernacular that implies a reluctance to be in the spotlight, prone to action more than words and possessing a steady focus. Several people interviewed for this piece used almost identical phrasing when asked about their colleague; “He’s quiet, and you know, real samurai — he doesn’t like to talk about himself.”
Ronald Simon, the owner of Olena by Chef Ron Simon, began working for Matsumoto while still in high school. “Kurt doesn’t hide behind a desk; he’s always out there with us. You respect that. If you make a mistake, he’ll address it privately, never in front of others,” recalls Simon.
In 1984, Simon emigrated with his family from the Philippines to Lāna‘i. By his senior year of high school, he was working at the newly opened Lodge at Koele, a luxury resort on the island. Matsumoto, then the hotel’s general manager, arranged for Simon to intern at a sister property in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, immediately after graduation.
The experience was life changing. “Before Wyoming, I only knew life on Lāna‘i,” Simon reflects. “That internship opened my eyes to a world beyond the island and expanded my view of what was possible.” Inspired by this transformative opportunity, Simon pursued college and culinary school, eventually working under Matsumoto at resorts on Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i. In 2015, he opened Olena by Chef Ron Simon on O‘ahu.
Stories like Simon’s are a testament to Matsumoto’s impact on Lāna‘i’s tight-knit community — a legacy that began before his current role as president of Pūlama Lāna‘i, the land and resource management company established when tech entrepreneur Larry Ellison purchased 97% of the island in 2012. During Ellison’s due diligence, Matsumoto’s name surfaced repeatedly on documents — because of his tenure as vice president of Lāna‘i Company from 1995 to 2000, where he oversaw the island’s two luxury resorts and golf courses.
“Kurt invested in the people of Lāna‘i. He chose local talent and gave them opportunities to work with world-class experts,” recalls Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya, who collaborated with Matsumoto on initiatives such as visiting artist programs at the Lāna‘i resorts and the renowned Cuisines of the Sun festival at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows. Furuya now advises the wine program at Hotel Lāna‘i and co-hosts monthly wine dinners at the boutique property.
Retired hospitality executive Paul Horner, who worked under Matsumoto early in his career at the Lodge at Koele, reflects on the profound influence Matsumoto had on his professional development. “Everyone who worked for Kurt will tell you that he taught them exactly what they needed to know to make the right decisions,” says Horner. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools and Northwestern University, Horner went on to manage prestigious properties in Napa Valley and Hawai‘i. He credits Matsumoto’s leadership as pivotal to his success in the hotel industry. “Kurt had this unique ability to take a ragtag group, keep us calm, and guide us in managing award-winning properties.” Horner recalls.
Matsumoto’s return to Lāna‘i after working in the hospitality industry outside of Hawai‘i in the 1990s to open the Manele Bay Hotel was deeply personal. “When I came back, I was interviewing people I’d grown up with. They were crying because the stakes were so high,” he recalls, reflecting on the island’s transition to a hospitality-based economy. “There’s a calculus: what happens if they lose their job? You know them, their family, their story.”
His ties to Lāna‘i run deep. Both sets of grandparents arrived in the 1920s to work for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company on Lāna‘i. His father, Sgt. Yukio Matsumoto, served in the highly decorated 442nd Infantry Battalion during World War II, while his mother, Matsuko Matsumoto, broke barriers as the plantation’s first female field superintendent. He is a graduate of Lāna‘i High School.
When the opportunity to join Pūlama Lāna‘i emerged in late 2012, Matsumoto saw a chance to continue supporting his community. Leaving his role at Kukui‘ula Development Company on Kaua‘i, he joined Ellison’s new company. Pūlama Lāna‘i faces the same challenges that are familiar across the state: balancing tourism with residents’ needs, fostering sustainable practices, growing economic diversity beyond tourism and a critical need for workforce housing.
Often viewed by the rest of the state as quiet and slower-paced, and overshadowed by its larger, more populous neighbors, Pūlama Lāna‘i is using its substantial resources to invest in innovative sustainability models tailored to island-based economies. This holds the potential to benefit communities far beyond Lāna‘i.
Sensei Farms, a high-tech greenhouse project on Lāna‘i, maximizes vegetable production using minimal energy and water inputs. The greenhouse technology, developed on the island, has been exported to Canada, where Sensei Farms Ontario is now in full production. Beyond driving agricultural innovation, Sensei Farms serves as a working example for Lāna‘i youth, showcasing diverse career paths in agriculture, beyond the field work of their parent’s and grandparent’s generation.
Fifty percent of Pūlama Lāna‘i’s management team are Lāna‘i High School graduates, a fact that brings great joy to Matsumoto, who is passionate about creating opportunities for the island’s young residents and ensuring Lāna‘i remains a place where they can grow, contribute, and build meaningful lives.
His leadership is rooted in values instilled from an early age: hard work, aloha ‘āina (love for the land), and a deep sense of community. Maybe these values are less “real samurai” and more “real Lāna‘i.”