Yugo ’92 and Emiko Manners Yamamoto

Punahou has an outstanding music, dance, and arts program, and they would like students who possess recognizable talent and abilities in those areas to have the opportunity to excel without having to worry about tuition.

Yugo played a musical instrument since elementary school and when he entered Punahou in the 7th grade he joined the band. He played the saxophone and was committed to both the Wind Ensemble and marching band throughout high school. Most of Yugo’s closest friends from high school were also involved in music, and he still has many fond memories of them. Thanks to his experience in high school, Yugo continued to play the saxophone in a jazz band in college and while he doesn’t play anymore, he still loves music. Yugo feels deeply indebted and grateful for the invaluable experiences he had at Punahou. He feels fortunate and honored to be able to give something back to the future of the school and its wonderful students.

Emiko was born into a musical family. Her father, Roger, is a professional trumpet player and her mother, Hideko, is a professional pianist. They both were part of the Hong Kong Philharmonic in the early 1980s and Emiko was born in Hong Kong before moving to Japan with her family at the age of six. While Emiko always had an appreciation for music, she found her true calling in dance. She started ballet at the age of two and performed competitively throughout her youth. She continued in college, studying dance at Cornell while dancing semi-professionally with a local ballet company. She has built a career in the finance industry but believes her grit and determination were shaped from her ballerina days.

Both Yugo and Emiko care deeply about supporting deserving students involved in the arts at Punahou.