Danny Yamashiro

Survival story

On December 22, 1985, attempting to rescue his stranded girlfriend from a 20-foot mountain-climbing fall, Danny Yamashiro slipped and fell head first 300 feet and later another 100 feet. The second fall took place during an attempted rescue and was captured on film. It aired on newscasts (KHON, KITV, KGMB) throughout Hawaii. He suffered severe head injuries, skull fractures, multiple tears in his scalp, a shattered ankle, damaged organs, extensive lacerations, and being comatose. Further details are written in his autobiography entitled Paradise Calls: A Spellbinding Story of Survival and Hope from Hawaii's Evangelist endorsed by Joni Eareckson Tada and New York Times best-selling author Stephen Mansfield. His dramatic story has been featured on the Christian Broadcasting Network (1999) across the United States and Asia introduced by Pat Robertson with the words, "Do you like adventure? I've got one for you!" Yamashiro shared his story at the Aloha Stadium (1998) upon the invitation of evangelist Greg Laurie who wrote, "If it were a baseball game, you would have it a homerun." On May 25, 2017, Danny Yamashiro delivered Harvard Extension School's commencement address on the Harvard University campus at Lowell Lecture Hall titled "Falling 400 Feet." He received a standing ovation.

Personal life

Daniel Keauhou Matsu "Danny" Yamashiro was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is an American of Chinese, Hawaiian and Japanese ancestry with paternal roots in Okinawa. He is the great grandson of Chang Apana, the renowned Hawaii detective who was the inspiration of the Hollywood character Charlie Chan, created by 1907 Harvard alumnus Earl Derr Biggers (starring Warner Oland). He graduated from Iolani School in 1986. His father, the Rev. David T. Yamashiro, Sr., played football and basketball for Father Kenneth A. Bray. Danny is married to Jamie Yamashiro. They have three children: Allie, Hugh and Luke.

Education and training

In 2015, Yamashiro was admitted as a Master of Liberal Arts degree candidate at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts with a concentration in Government at Harvard Extension School. He graduated on May 25, 2017 at Harvard's 366th commencement where Mark Zuckerberg, Judi Dench, James Earl Jones and John Williams were among those who received honorary degrees during the morning exercises. An interview by Harvard described Danny's journey to Cambridge from Honolulu. Yamashiro's thesis, Religious Influences on Crisis Presidential Decision-Making: A New Belief in the Operational Code Analysis of George W. Bush (2017) under the direction of Dr. David F. Holland from Harvard Divinity School was showcased at Harvard's annual ALM Thesis Symposium.

Yamashiro attended Chaminade University (1987) in Honolulu before transferring to Biola University and Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and Theology (1991) and Master of Arts in Bible Exposition (1993). Danny's thesis, Jesus Christ in Every Biblical Book (1992) directed by Dr. A. Boyd Luter explored types, symbols, prophecies and pictures of Christ in all sixty-six books of the Bible. He studied in Egypt and Israel as part of his graduate program. Professional tennis player Michael Chang, vocalist Judith Hill, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Todd Worrell, Christian author and speaker Josh McDowell, U.S. Senator John Thune from South Dakota and founder of Fuller Theological Seminary Charles E. Fuller are also graduates of Biola University.

He served as pastoral intern at Christ Presbyterian Church of Hollywood in California and at Kalihi Union Church in Hawaii. He studied Expository Preaching in Memphis, Tennessee under Dr. Stephen F. Olford (1994), trained in Apologetics under Dr. John Warwick Montgomery in Strasbourg, France (1998) and received pastoral training from Dr. Jack W. Hayford in Van Nuys, California. He was a delegate at two historic conferences: North American Conference for Itinerant Evangelists (NACIE `94) in Louisville, Kentucky and Amsterdam 2000 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Professional life

Yamashiro is an entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, minister, publisher and consultant.

Evangelist and pastor

In 1993, he founded Jesus Christ Is Calling You Evangelistic Ministry, Inc. (JCCY) and launched a series of large-scale revival tent meetings throughout Hawaii. Yamashiro used television, radio and print media to communicate his message to broader audiences and has been widely referred to as the "Billy Graham of Hawaii." Since 1998, his organization formed Paradise Global Mission and expanded to reach Japan, Philippines, Kenya, Thailand, India, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Uganda, China, Russia and more with medical and dental clinics, sports clinics and numerous forms of humanitarian aid by supporting the work of Christian churches in rural locations.

Yamashiro has ministered, studied and conducted business throughout Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Central America, Africa, the Middle East and Pacific Islands.

He is the founding pastor of Christ's Church at Kapolei, affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America, and served as senior pastor for nine years (1998–2007). Rene Paulo, a Hawaiian pianist who studied at Juilliard School of Music in New York City, has been an active member there.

Radio and television host

Yamashiro hosts the program A Slice of The Good Life which airs daily throughout the United States and internationally in Ontario, Canada, Kent, England, and Malaybalay City, Philippines weekdays and formerly aired in Greater Los Angeles on Salem Communications 99.5 KKLA-FM. He has been featured on The Frank Pastore Show in southern California.

He hosts Hawaii's only locally based daily Christian radio talk show, The Good Life Hawaii, on Salem Communications 99.5 KGU-FM, a program of Danny Yamashiro Ministries. His guests have included media personalities, politicians, entertainers, educators, pastors, coaches and athletes.

Media Personalities: FOX News correspondent Lauren Green,, George Barna, Jim Daly of Focus on the Family, and Nick Vujicic. Politicians: U.S. Congressman Charles Djou, Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona, Mayor of Honolulu Mufi Hannemann, Senator Norman Sakamoto, and Representative Lynn Finnegan. Entertainers: Multiple Grammy Award Winner James Ingram Educators: Gordon College president D. Michael Lindsay,, Biola University President Barry Corey, and Moody Bible Institute President Paul Nyquist. Pastors: Dr. Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas. Coaches and Athletes: Syracuse University head football coach Dino Babers, Toronto Argonauts kick returner and receiver Chad Owens, New York Jets linebacker Brashton Satele, former Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, former Atlanta Falcons defensive back Blane Gaison, mixed martial arts stars Egan Inoue and Falaniko Vitale, and finalist of The World's Strongest Man Joe Onosai.

As host of the television special The Danny Yamashiro Show (KWHE, KWHD, KWHM) on LeSEA broadcasting network, Yamashiro featured notable personalities including University of Hawaii head football coach June Jones preceding UH's remarkable 12–0 (2007) regular season which led to an invitation to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Publisher

He is the president of White Mountain Castle Publishing, LLC. Noted authors from Hawaii including Ada Lum of Wheaton College, Olympian Kevin Asano, Rob Gross and Assemblies of God ministers Dr. George Nagato, Rev. Terry Wong and Jimmy Yamada, Jr. have had their books published through Yamashiro's company.

Awards and associations

Danny Yamashiro won the Harvard Extension School Commencement Speaker Prize (2017). He was awarded Biola University's Young Alumni Award (2000) and received numerous Certificates of Recognition from the Hawaii Senate, Hawaii House of Representatives, Honolulu City Council and the Mayor of Honolulu, Jeremy Harris. Yamashiro was the first ordained clergyman selected for the Pacific Century Fellows and offered a prayer at a celebratory dinner hosted by the Governor of Hawaii, Benjamin Cayetano at the historic "Washington Place" (1999).

Danny Yamashiro is ordained by the Evangelical Free Church of America, is a member of the National Religious Broadcasters and Dr. Luis Palau's Next Generation Alliance of evangelists.

Books

Yamashiro has authored the following books: